Casa Azul
Londres 247, Del Carmen, Coyoacán, 04100 Ciudad de México, CDMX
55 5554 5999
Frida Kahlo is without a doubt one of the most popular Mexican artists on an international stage. Her life is full of happiness, tragedy, controversies, and bursts of tremendous creativity. Many people around the world have been inspired not only by her art, but by her life story too; her strong free will has been an inspiration for feminists worldwide; she tackled sexuality, abortion, lactation, politics, and indigenous people’s rights in her work and in her public life; she was an influential voice at a time where women were expected to just keep to themselves and their household. Incredibly, Frida’s voice has only grown more potent after she passed away in 1954.
There’s a special place in Coyoacán, in the southern part of Mexico City, that’s dedicated to her life and work, a place where she actually lived and painted. The Casa Azul (“Blue House”) is where Frida Kahlo was born, where she grew up, and then the place she shared with her husband, famous muralist, Diego Rivera; it’s also where she passed away in one of the rooms on the upper floor. It’s the second most visited museum in Mexico City after the National Museum of Anthropology. Diego Rivera donated the house and its contents in 1957 in order for it to become a place to honor Frida, their home is arranged in the same way it was during the ‘50s when the couple was living there. The museum is special in the sense that, unlike other public museums, it provides you with a glimpse into Frida’s quirks, eccentricities, exquisite colorful taste, fashion sense, and yes, a little bit of her artistic madness.
Walking the peaceful and picturesque streets of Coyoacán on an early weekday afternoon, while heading to Casa Azul, is sure to soothe your soul, but beware! Purchase your tickets online in advance as they’re not selling them on location anymore. The ticket costs $230 pesos for foreigners (while only $100 pesos for Mexican nationals with a valid ID. Lucky them), and weekends may get a little hectic, so once again, weekdays are the best. If you just have to go on a weekend then choose early morning, so you don’t have to wait in line. There’s also a 30-minute deadline for your “reservation” so try not to be late!
If you’re a fan of Frida you’ll be amazed by some of the things on display, especially endearing is a wheelchair in front of an adjustable easel, with one of the last paintings she worked on in front of it, her paints, and tools behind the wheelchair. Also of special interest is her collection of braces for her body that were needed after a tramcar accident in her youth left her with health ailments for the rest of her life; she doodled, painted, and decorated her braces, appropriating them as an outlet for her creativity. Even if you think you know her you’re bound to discover something new, something that will make you love her a little bit more.
