Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society The Truth about Frida Kahlo
Feb 13, 2026
Patience Schell, Chair in Hispanic Studies and Frida Kahlo expert, digs into Kahlo’s upbringing, the bus crash that launched her painting, and her stormy marriage to Diego Rivera. She also explores Kahlo’s lovers, gender play in her work, lifelong health battles, and how Mexican revolution and identity shaped her public image.
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Revolution Informs Her Mexican Identity
- Frida grew up during the Mexican Revolution which reshaped national identity and cultural pride.
- That revolutionary context shaped her interest in indigenous traditions and folkloric dress in her public image and art.
Meeting Diego Began As An Artistic Consultation
- Frida first sought Diego Rivera's professional opinion by bringing him her paintings when he was mural-painting at her school.
- That meeting led to their eventual marriage and a complex lifelong relationship.
Artistic Respect Coexisted With Turmoil
- Frida and Diego's marriage combined deep artistic respect with repeated infidelities and mutual emotional turbulence.
- Their relationship prioritized creative partnership over conventional sexual fidelity.