Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera

Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo formed one of the most iconic, tumultuous couples of the art world. They were united by marriage, their love of Mexico and their political engagement, and separated by his errant ways and her ill health. While his work is monumental in scope and scale, her work feels unsettling and introspective. Both incorporated elements of the ancient culture of their land and contemporary western influences. Their mercurial and creatively fecund relationship is now coming together in an exhibition at the Musée de l’Orangerie in Paris.

The director of the museum and curator of the exhibition, Madame Marie-Paule Vial, explained how she conceived the experience in three parts. First, the lesser known Rivera period in Paris, where he admired the work of Matisse, Soutine and Picasso. In the second hall Frida and Diego come together, sharing a love of their land and its people. In the final section there is a surprise – a recreation of the room where much of Frida’s later life unfolded due to her chronic pain. She famously said “I paint self-portraits because I am so often alone, because I am the person I know best.” These intimate paintings blend with the photographs, video and elements of the celebrity that they both fostered and endured. As a bonus, there is a “Fridamania” wall, with a collection of the myriad of kitsch and collectors’ items she inspired all over the world.