Lena Rivera
The Wounded Deer is an oil painting by Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, created in 1946. It depicts a deer with Kahlo's head, pierced by arrows, lying on the forest floor. The painting is believed to represent Kahlo's physical and emotional pain, including her struggle with lifelong health issues and the heartbreak from her marriage. Kahlo's use of symbolism, influenced by her Aztec roots and Christian references, adds depth to the interpretation of the artwork. The Wounded Deer is a powerful example of Kahlo's honest and heart-wrenching self-portraits, offering a glimpse into the artist's life and the struggles she endured.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Artist | Frida Kahlo |
| Year | 1946 |
| Medium | Oil paint |
| Dimensions | 22.4 x 30 cm |
| Inspiration | Frida's sadness and frustration with persistent pain and suffering, including after a failed spinal surgery; hopelessness about her fate; her difficult life, traumas, and heartbreaks; her love of her indigenous culture; and exploration of socio-political ideals. |
| Symbolism | The deer symbolises Frida herself, with nine arrows and nine trees referencing her birthday in the Aztec calendar. The broken branch may refer to the Mexican tradition of placing a broken branch on a grave. The lightning bolt may reference the Christian figure Saint Sebastian, who was shot with arrows. |
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What You'll Learn
Frida Kahlo's physical pain and emotional suffering
Frida Kahlo's "The Wounded Deer" is a powerful and poignant painting that offers a window into the artist's physical pain and emotional suffering. The work, created in 1946, serves as a self-portrait and a testament to Kahlo's enduring struggles.
Physically, Kahlo endured a lifetime of pain, stemming from a bus accident when she was just 18 years old. The accident left her with severe injuries to her spine, pelvis, right leg, abdomen, and ribs, which plagued her throughout her life. The painting "The Wounded Deer" is believed to be a reflection of this physical trauma, with the deer's raised right front leg mirroring Kahlo's own impairment. The arrows piercing the deer's body further symbolize the wounds and fragility Kahlo experienced due to countless operations, including a recent spinal surgery that left her bedridden for almost a year.
Emotionally, Kahlo's life was marked by turmoil and heartache. Her marriage to Diego Rivera was strained by infidelity and divorce, and she longed for a child she could never have due to her injuries. Kahlo's health was in decline, and she faced the constant threat of illness and surgeries. The painting conveys her emotional state through its symbolism, with the wounded deer representing Kahlo's sadness, hopelessness, and sense of isolation. The broken branch in the foreground of the painting is a traditional Mexican acknowledgement of the artist's deteriorating health.
Kahlo's personal note accompanying the painting as a wedding gift to her friends Arcady and Lina Boytler further emphasizes the emotional context. She wrote, "The deer walked alone, very sad and very wounded, until, in Arcady and Lina, he found warmth and a nest. When the deer returns strong, happy and cured, the wounds he has now will all be erased." This note reveals Kahlo's identification with the wounded deer, expressing her sadness and her hope for her friends' happiness and healing.
The painting also incorporates Kahlo's Aztec roots and Christian influences. In the Aztec calendar, Kahlo's birthday is represented by the number nine, which appears in the painting in the nine trees, nine arrows, and the antler points. Additionally, the wounded deer has been compared to the Christian figure of Saint Sebastian, a martyr shot with arrows, further emphasizing the theme of suffering.
Through "The Wounded Deer," Kahlo invites viewers to witness her physical and emotional suffering, conveying the sadness and frustration she experienced in the face of her health struggles and personal losses. The painting stands as a testament to her resilience and honesty in expressing her life story through her art.
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Aztec symbolism and roots
The Wounded Deer, a 1946 self-portrait by Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, is a powerful work of art that draws on the artist's Aztec roots and symbolism. The painting depicts a deer, with Kahlo's head, severely wounded by arrows and surrounded by a forest of trees.
Kahlo's interest in her indigenous Mexican heritage and Aztec culture is evident in the symbolism of the deer. In Aztec belief, the deer represents the right foot. Kahlo, who suffered a serious injury to her right side from a childhood accident, identified with this symbolism. The nine arrows piercing the deer and the nine trees in the forest also hold symbolic value, as nine was the number in the Aztec calendar corresponding to Kahlo's birthday. This fusion of Aztec symbolism and personal experience reflects Kahlo's belief in destiny and the idea that her life's struggles were predetermined.
The Wounded Deer also incorporates elements of pre-Columbian Aztec beliefs, blending human and animal features. In the painting, Kahlo portrays herself with both male and female characteristics, reflecting her own bisexuality. This hybrid form draws on pre-Columbian Aztec ideas that associate body parts with animals. The raised right front leg of the deer may also be interpreted as a reference to Kahlo's own physical impairment and her struggle with chronic pain.
Kahlo's Aztec roots and cultural influences are integral to the symbolism and meaning of The Wounded Deer. The painting serves as a testament to her enduring physical and emotional suffering, expressed through the lens of her Aztec heritage. This blend of personal narrative and cultural symbolism has made The Wounded Deer a renowned and intimate portrayal of Kahlo's life and artistic vision.
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Christian religious references
Frida Kahlo's "The Wounded Deer" is filled with Christian religious symbolism. The painting is a self-portrait created in 1946, towards the end of her life, and is an expression of her physical and emotional suffering.
The most notable Christian reference is to Saint Sebastian, a martyr and saint who was shot with arrows while tied to a tree. The deer in the painting is also pierced with arrows, echoing the suffering of Saint Sebastian. The raised front right leg of the deer may also be a reference to Kahlo's own impairment following a bus accident when she was 18, which damaged her right leg.
The broken branch on the ground in front of the deer could be interpreted as a reference to the Mexican tradition of placing a broken branch on a grave, acknowledging her declining health and the inevitability of death. The number of arrows in the deer's body is nine, the same number of trees on the left side of the painting. In the Aztec calendar, Kahlo was born on day nine, a number symbolizing both earthly elements and the underworld.
The painting also bears a resemblance to the story of Saint Eustache, who refused to shoot a deer and was then converted to Christianity.
Through these Christian references, Kahlo expresses her own suffering, martyrdom, and acceptance of her fate.
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The wounded deer as a self-portrait
Frida Kahlo's "The Wounded Deer" is a self-portrait that captures the artist's physical and emotional pain. The painting, created in 1946, depicts a deer with Kahlo's head, pierced by nine arrows, lying on the forest floor. This symbolises the enduring suffering Kahlo experienced due to a bus accident when she was 18, which left her with severe injuries, including to her right leg, spine, pelvis, abdomen, and right leg. The arrows in the painting represent the multiple operations she underwent, leaving her body fragile and in constant pain.
Kahlo's self-portrait expresses her belief that her fate was predetermined to be one of suffering. The use of the deer as a symbol is significant due to its connection to the right foot in Aztec culture, and Kahlo's birthday in the Aztec calendar. The number nine, considered unlucky, appears several times in the painting: in the nine arrows, the nine trees, and the antlers of the deer. This further emphasises the sense of fate and misfortune.
The Wounded Deer also reflects Kahlo's personal life, including her marriage to Diego Rivera, which was strained by infidelity and divorce. The artist's yearning for a child she could never have due to her injuries adds to the emotional torment expressed in the painting. Kahlo's health was in decline when she painted The Wounded Deer, and she would struggle with her wounds until her death in 1954.
The painting's modest size, measuring only 22.4 x 30 centimetres, has been interpreted as a sign of isolation, downplaying the intensity of Kahlo's painful circumstances. The broken branch in the foreground and the lightning bolt in the sky further symbolise Kahlo's deteriorating health and the turmoil beneath the stoic facade she presents to the viewer.
The Wounded Deer, with its rich symbolism and emotional depth, is a powerful self-portrait that invites viewers to understand Kahlo's inner world of physical pain and emotional struggles. It is a testament to the artist's ability to convey her personal experiences and perspectives through her art.
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The painting as a wedding gift
Frida Kahlo's "The Wounded Deer" is a painting with rich symbolism and multiple interpretations. It is also known as a wedding gift from the artist to her friends, Lina and Arcady Boitler.
Kahlo's painting depicts a deer with the artist's head, pierced by nine arrows, lying on the forest floor. The deer is a symbol of herself, with the arrows representing her lifelong physical and emotional pain. The painting was created towards the end of Kahlo's life, when her health was in decline, and she had just undergone a failed spinal surgery that left her bedridden for almost a year. In the painting, the deer's front right leg is raised, reflecting Kahlo's own impairment from a childhood accident that damaged her right leg. The nine arrows and trees in the illustration also have symbolic significance, relating to Kahlo's birthday in the Aztec calendar, where the number nine is associated with earthly elements and the underworld.
The Wounded Deer, as a wedding gift, takes on a unique significance. In a note believed to be written on a napkin, Kahlo explained the sadness depicted in the painting and its connection to her condition, which she felt could not be fixed. She wrote, "The deer walked alone, very sad and very wounded, until, in Arcady and Lina, he found warmth and a nest. When the deer returns strong, happy and cured, the wounds he has now will all be erased." Through this gift, Kahlo expressed her struggle and suffering, while also conveying a message of hope and healing to the newlywed couple.
The painting's modest dimensions, measuring only 22.4 x 30 centimeters, further emphasize the intimate and personal nature of the gift. "The Wounded Deer" serves as a powerful reminder of Kahlo's resilience and her desire to offer support and comfort to her friends during a joyous occasion, despite her own physical and emotional struggles.
Kahlo's use of symbolism and self-portraiture in "The Wounded Deer" not only showcases her artistic talent but also provides a window into her life experiences, emotions, and worldview. By gifting this painting, she shared a piece of herself with the couple, offering a lasting testament to her artistic expression and personal journey.
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Frequently asked questions
'The Wounded Deer' (El venado herido in Spanish) is an oil painting by Mexican artist Frida Kahlo created in 1946. It depicts a deer with Kahlo's head, pierced by arrows, lying on the forest floor.
The painting was inspired by Kahlo's personal experiences of physical and emotional pain. The arrows in the painting, for example, are thought to symbolise the multiple operations she had to undergo. The wounded deer also reflects her belief that her suffering was her fate.
Kahlo combines pre-Columbian, Buddhist, and Christian symbols in the painting to express her wide spectrum of influences and beliefs. The painting also draws on Aztec influences, with nine arrows and nine trees included in the illustration—nine being the number in the Aztec calendar relating to Kahlo's birthday.
Yes, some critics interpret the small scale of the painting as a sign of isolation, which also downplays her painful circumstances. The broken branch in the foreground of the painting is also significant, as it is traditionally placed on graves in Mexico to acknowledge the artist's declining health.
The title, 'The Wounded Deer', is a direct reference to the subject of the painting—a wounded deer. The deer is used as a metaphor to describe Kahlo's agony and pain.
