Frida Kahlo first met Diego Rivera when she was an art student hoping to get advice on her career from the famous Mexican muralist. Although Rivera was married, a courtship ensued. They wed in 1929 (he was 42, she was 22) much to the disapproval of Frida's parents, who referred to the couple as “the elephant and the dove.”
With volatile tempers and countless infidelities, the marriage was notoriously tumultuous. The couple divorced in 1939 only to remarry a year later, though the second marriage was just as turbulent as the first. Both have long been recognized as important painters who achieved great international popularity during their lifetimes.
Even when Kahlo died, Rivera maintained an undying connection to her. “July 13, 1954 was the most tragic day of my life,” he said. “I had lost my beloved Frida forever. Too late, now I realized that the most wonderful part of my life had been my love for Frida.”
With volatile tempers and countless infidelities, the marriage was notoriously tumultuous. The couple divorced in 1939 only to remarry a year later, though the second marriage was just as turbulent as the first. Both have long been recognized as important painters who achieved great international popularity during their lifetimes.
Even when Kahlo died, Rivera maintained an undying connection to her. “July 13, 1954 was the most tragic day of my life,” he said. “I had lost my beloved Frida forever. Too late, now I realized that the most wonderful part of my life had been my love for Frida.”
