Portrait of Virginia
(Little Girl)

1929

This is one of the very early works of Frida Kahlo. When Frida first began to paint she would often paint portraits of friends and family. Diego Rivera encouraged her to paint portraits of the native Mexican Indian people. This portrait, painted in bright color combinations typical of Mexican popular art, is of a native Mexican Indian girl. The "Mexicanist" style of the subject is very similar to those found in the murals of Diego Rivera but lack the usual "cuteness" of Rivera's subjects. Frida's subject is more detailed, innocence and painted with a personal caring touch.

On the back of this painting is a "Self Portrait" sketch.

Oil on masonite
óleo sobre masonite

77 x 60 cm.
30 ¼" x 23 ¾"

Dolores Olmedo Patiño
Museum
Mexico City, Mexico

Museo Dolores Olmedo Patiño
Ciudad de México, México

Sketch on back of painting
Autorretrato al reverso de
"Retrato de Virginia"

Este es uno de los primeros trabajos de Frida Kahlo. Cuando Frida empezó a pintar a menudo pintó retratos de amigos y familia. Diego Rivera la animó a pintar retratos de indígenas mexicanos. Este retrato, pintado en brillantes combinaciones de colores, típicas del arte popular mexicano es de una niña indígena mexicana. El estilo "mexicanista" del sujeto es muy similar al encontrado en los murales de Diego Rivera pero no tiene la estética de los sujetos de Rivera, Frida pinta a sus modelos de una manera más detallada, inocente y con un toque personal de preocupación por ellos.