A Few Small Nips

1935

Broken-hearted over her husband's affair with her younger sister Cristina, Frida recreated her sorrow and anger in this painting. Her own pain being too great to depict, she projected it onto another woman's misfortune. A newspaper report about a woman murdered in an act of jealousy provided Kahlo with the subject matter for this work. The murderer defended his actions before the judge by saying: "But it was just a few small nips!" The violent deed makes symbolic reference to Frida's own mental state and her own emotional injuries.

In the preliminary sketch for this painting, Frida drew a single dove holding a ribbon with the inscription from a popular song: "My sweetie doesn't love me anymore", but in the final painting, the ribbon is held by two doves and bears the title of the painting: "A Few Small Nips". One dove is black, the other white, alluding perhaps to the light and dark sides of love.

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Oil on metal
óleo sobre metal

30 x 40 cm.
11 ¾" x 15 ½"

Collection of Dolores Olmedo
Mexico City, Mexico

Colección de Dolores Olmedo
Ciudad de México, México

Pencil Sketch Study

Con el corazón roto por la aventura de su esposo con su hermana menor, Cristina, Frida reflejó su dolor e ira en esta pintura. Su propio dolor era tan profundo que incapaz de pintarlo en primera persona, lo proyectó en la desgracias de otra mujer. Un periódico publico una noticia acerca de una mujer asesinada por celos, y esto dio a la artista el sujeto ideal para su trabajo. El asesino se defendió delante del juez diciendo: “ Pero solo fueron unos cuantos piquetitos!”. Este hecho violento es una referencia simbólica al propio estado mental de Frida y sus propias heridas emocionales.

La leyenda que sostienen las palomas, un símbolo de amor, irónicamente lleva el titulo del cuadro. Una paloma es negra, la otra blanca, quizás aludiendo a las caras luminosa y oscura del amor.