Frida Kahlo My Grandparents, My Parents, and I (Family Tree) 1936

  • MoMA, Floor 5, 521 The Alfred H. Barr, Jr. Galleries

Kahlo shows her Mexican and German heritage with a family tree. On the left, you see her mother and grandparents over the landscape of Mexico. On the right, you see her father and grandparents over the sea, symbolizing her father’s journey from Germany to Mexico. The artist painted herself as a child in the center, holding a red ribbon that connects her to the various generations of her family. What differences do you notice between the two sides of the painting? What people and symbols might you include in your own family tree?

Kids label from 2023
Medium
Oil and tempera on zinc
Dimensions
12 1/8 x 13 5/8" (30.7 x 34.5 cm)
Credit
Gift of Allan Roos, M. D., and B. Mathieu Roos
Object number
102.1976
Copyright
© 2023 Banco de México Diego Rivera Frida Kahlo Museums Trust, Mexico, D.F. / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Department
Painting and Sculpture

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Provenance Research Project

This work is included in the Provenance Research Project, which investigates the ownership history of works in MoMA's collection.

The artist; sold through Julien Levy Gallery, New York to Allan (1906-1975) and Beatrice Roos, New York and San Francisco, 1938 [1]; acquired by The Museum of Modern Art, New York, 1976 (Gift of Allan Roos, M. D., and B. Mathieu Roos).
[1] Included in the exhibition Frida Kahlo, Julien Levy Gallery, New York, November 1-15,1938, no. 7 (My Family).

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