Frida Kahlo’s final painting, Viva la Vida, is a powerful symbol of celebrating life. This video examines in detail the famous Mexican painter’s depiction of watermelons, her style and historical models, and the painting’s historical context. The modern still-life painting is more complex than it might initially appear.

Note: In this video, we chose to use Frida to refer to Frida Kahlo because that is how most people often discuss her—it’s familiar. But ideally, people would use Kahlo’s last name when referring to her, much as they would most male artists.

Speaker: Dr. Lauren Kilroy-Ewbank

Main artwork: Frida Kahlo, Viva la Vida, 1954. Museo Frida Kahlo.