Love or Lust? The Story of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera.

April 29, 2021 • Diego Rivera • Frida Kahlo • Love Stories • Love Story

Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera have a love story that goes way beyond a typical LOVE story.. well worth reading! However, a bit toxic. Regardless, both of them became highly acclaimed artists! It is possible they were connected on another level beyond our understanding of love.

A communist party brought Frida and Rivera together in 1927. Frida was 20 and Rivera was 40 years old at the time....

Heartwork No. 6 By VIII
*Available for acquisition

Two years later, Rivera divorced his third wife and married Frida in August 1929. - We wonder, was this love at first sight?

Many people don't know this but it is said, his popularity in Mexico was greater than Frida Kahlo's while she was alive.

Their passion outgrew through the years but sadly their marriage came with many arguments, love affairs and “too many” miscarriages from Frida according to Diego, which initially made him become very angry and ultimately filled their relationship with sorrow. This may have lead Diego to cheat on her, but it's important to mention that Diego was already a father of 2 daughters prior to their marriage and there are no excuses for cheating- Right?

Anyways... Frida, too, began cheating on Diego. Due to her bisexuality, Frida was cheating on Diego with a female partner, which Diego at first did not object to; however, after discovering that Frida was also in a relationship with a male at that time, Diego became extremely jealous.

1. Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera

Oh no, we're not done yet.... Frida also cheated with the same woman Diego cheated with! The couple finally divorced after Diego had an affair with Frida's younger sister, Cristina Kahlo (yes, her sister!).- There are no words to describe what a scum move was that one- Cristina Kahlo and Diego Rivera- can you imagine? We can only imagine the gossip going around about these two at the time.

After having time to grow separately, the couple realized the connection between them was still there and remarried in 1940.

They say, once you meet the same person again, you don't get the same person! But patterns may speak louder than words sometimes, and it didn't take long before they began to cheat on one another.

Only this time Frida became very depressed wondering why their love was so toxic. Through her art, we can see the pain and Diego.....

2. "Diego on my mind"- Frida Khalo

Frida also used journaling as her escape, she once wrote:

“I love you more than my own skin and even though you don't love me the same way, you love me anyways, don't you? And if you don't, I'll always have the hope that you do, and I'm satisfied with that. Love me a little. I adore you''

The relationship had more cons than pros in our opinion but on a positive note, at least they tried to make it work like lovers do! -Hey, who are we to judge right?

Their love life was beyond what any of us could imagine... the love was always there, just in all the wrong places. When Frida was asked why she was still with Diego at the time, she responded with her truth:

“Look Diego is how he is, and that's how I love him. I cannot love him for what he is not.”

The Mexican icon we know, Frida Kahlo (47 years old) died in 1954 from pneumonia, at their home in Mexico city. Her works mainly focused on self-portraits, 65 of the 150 she produced featured her own image, revolving with such themes as identity, the human body and death.

VIII Visits Frida & Diego's former home,-
Nowadays a museum. Mexico City, 2020.

On the other hand, Diego's legacy is in place too. He lived in their home until he died at 70 years old in 1957.

It's rare for an artist to break into the mainstream with such force as Rivera did in Mexico during his lifetime. He became hugely popular and his fame was also driven by his outspoken views.