How did Frida Kahlo manage to emerge from the shadow of her husband, the artist Diego Rivera? And how did a dog with a sock in its mouth lead to the discovery of an affair? Join Alastair and James in the second of three episodes about the Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, as they explore her tumultuous life in the 1930s and the development of her singular style of art.

Artworks in this episode include:
Frida Kahlo, Frieda and Diego Rivera, 1931, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco
Frida Kahlo, Henry Ford Hospital, 1932, Dolores Olmedo Museum, Xochimilco, Mexico City
Frida Kahlo, My Birth, 1932, Dolores Olmedo Museum, Xochimilco, Mexico City
Frida Kahlo, A Few Small Nips, 1935 Dolores Olmedo Museum, Xochimilco, Mexico City
Frida Kahlo, The Two Fridas, 1939, Museo de Arte Moderno, Mexico City

For more great art content visit www.heni.com or visit the Heni Talks YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@HENITalks

Frida: The Making of an Icon is on at Tate Modern, London until 3rd January 2027.

Hosts: Alastair Sooke and Dr James Fox
Additional Research: Catherine Ingram and Laura Spada
Producer and Editor: Ben Harding
Executive Producer: Emma Cahusac

Chapters

• 00:00:00 Introduction: The Elephant and the Dove
• 00:06:24 Diego's Infidelities
• 00:12:45 San Francisco and Detroit
• 00:20:08 Henry Ford Hospital and My Birth
• 00:41:32 A Few Small Nips
• 00:45:08 Frida's Affairs
• 00:51:58 Artistic Breakthrough
• 00:59:10 The Two Fridas