Frida Kahlo

In his beautifully illustrated survey of Frida Kahlo's work, Lozano (art history, Iberoamerican Univ., Mexico City) explores her life and paintings in a series of essays that range from a poetic study by noted Mexican cultural critic Carlos Monsiv is to a short, prosaic piece written in 1943 by her husband, Diego Rivera, to an academic essay by Lozano himself. The common thread is how Kahlo's pre-Columbian background helped her find her own identity in the world and in the artist circles she frequented. To create a portrait of a woman so talented yet so tortured, Lozano uses Kahlo's own stunning images, offering high-quality reproductions of some of Kahlo's most famous works as well as some of her lesser-known pieces. Previously unseen photos of Kahlo at work in her studio are also included. The detail and clarity of the images is incredible, allowing the reader to explore each painting thoroughly. [For more on the Spanish-language edition of this book, see Criticas, Fall 2001, p. 41. Ed.] (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.