Portrait of a
Woman in White

1930

The identity of the subject in this unfinished portrait is unknown. Based on the style, it was probably painted around 1930. Frida and Diego were in San Francisco in 1930 and 1931 and Frida painted several portraits of friends and the wives of Rivera's assistants. This unknown woman could be a member of their circle of acquaintances or she could be a relative of the sculptor Ralph Stackpole with whom the couple lived in San Francisco.

This painting is remarkably similar in style and content to a 1929 Kahlo self-portrait entitled "Time Flies". The subject in this painting is posed between a pulled back pair of drapes in front of a balcony window. The young woman in her white attire projects a sense of purity and innocence.

It is unclear as to why the painting was never finished. Some speculate that the mystery woman was merely a casual acquaintance and the friendship ended before the painting was finished. Others believe that the woman was Frida's first lesbian lover and their relationship ended abruptly and so did work on the painting.

Had the banner at the top of the painting been inscribed as intended, it may have provided the answers to the mystery surrounding this painting.

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Oil on canvas
óleo sobre lienzo

119 x 81 cm.
47" x 32"

Private Collection
Colectíon privada
Berlin, Germany

Se desconoce la identidad del sujeto en este retrato inacabado. Basado en el estilo, posiblemente fue pintado alrededor de 1930. Frida y Diego estuvieron en San Francisco en 1930 y 1931 y Frida pintó varios retratos de amigos y las esposas de los ayudantes de Rivera. Esta mujer desconocida podría ser un miembro de su circulo de amistades o podría ser un familiar del escultor Ralph Stackpole con el cual la pareja vivía en San Francisco.

Este retrato se parece mucho en estilo y contenido al autorretrato de Kahlo pintado en 1929, "El tiempo vuela". El sujeto en este retrato posa entre dos cortinas abiertas enfrente de un balcón. La joven con su traje blanco proyecta una idea de pureza e inocencia.

No está claro por que Frida no acabó el retrato. Algunos especulan que la mujer misteriosa era simplemente una amistad causal y la amistad acabó antes de que acabara el retrato. Otros creen que la mujer fue el primer amor lésbico de Frida y su relación acabo abruptamente al igual que el retrato.

Si la inscripción en la parte de arriba del retrato hubiera sido completada, podría habernos dado las respuestas al misterio que rodea a este retrato.