{"product_id":"the-suicide-of-dorothy-hale-frida-kahlo-1","title":"The Suicide of Dorothy Hale - Frida Kahlo","description":"\u003cp\u003eA narrative retablo-style painting by Frida Kahlo depicting the tragic death of actress Dorothy Hale in three sequential stages.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCommissioned by Clare Boothe Luce, a friend of the late actress Dorothy Hale, this work functions as a retablo, a traditional Mexican devotional painting. Hale died by suicide in 1938, jumping from the Hampshire House in New York City. Kahlo depicts the event in a sequential, narrative format that defies conventional perspective.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe composition is divided into three distinct stages of the fall. At the top, the figure is seen leaping from the building. In the centre, she is suspended in the air amidst clouds. At the bottom, she lies motionless on the ground. The painting is framed by a painted wooden border, which includes a Spanish inscription detailing the date, time, and location of the tragedy. The blood at the base of the figure spills over the bottom edge of the painted frame, blurring the boundary between the depicted scene and the physical object.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKahlo employs a flat, almost folk-art aesthetic to present a subject of extreme gravity. The sky is filled with swirling, grey clouds that obscure the architecture of the building, creating a dreamlike atmosphere. The figure of Hale is rendered with a sense of detachment, wearing a black dress and a corsage of yellow flowers. The work remains one of the most controversial pieces in Kahlo's catalogue, as the patron was reportedly horrified by the graphic nature of the final image, which Kahlo had intended to be a memorial. The painting provides a stark example of how Kahlo utilised the visual language of religious votive art to document contemporary trauma and personal history.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"margin-top:2rem;padding-top:1.5rem;border-top:1px solid #e5e5e5;\"\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-size:0.85rem;color:#888;font-weight:600;margin:0 0 0.75rem;text-transform:uppercase;letter-spacing:0.05em;\"\u003eYou might also like\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"display:flex;flex-wrap:wrap;gap:0.5rem;\"\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/the-return-of-the-flame-rene-magritte\" style=\"display:inline-block;background:#f8f9fa;border:1px solid #e5e5e5;border-radius:20px;padding:0.35rem 0.85rem;font-size:0.8rem;color:#2a555a;font-weight:500;text-decoration:none !important;background-image:none !important;\"\u003eThe Return of the Flame - René Magritte — René Magritte\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/the-black-horse-john-atherton\" style=\"display:inline-block;background:#f8f9fa;border:1px solid #e5e5e5;border-radius:20px;padding:0.35rem 0.85rem;font-size:0.8rem;color:#2a555a;font-weight:500;text-decoration:none !important;background-image:none !important;\"\u003eThe Black Horse - John Atherton — John Atherton\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Frida Kahlo","offers":[{"title":"Fine Art Poster \/ A4 (21x29.7 cm) \/ -","offer_id":58861239763279,"sku":null,"price":28.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Poster \/ A3 (29.7 x 42  cm) \/ -","offer_id":58861308412239,"sku":null,"price":35.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Poster \/ A2 (42 x 59.4  cm) \/ -","offer_id":58861308445007,"sku":null,"price":45.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Poster \/ B2 (50x70 cm) \/ -","offer_id":58861308477775,"sku":null,"price":50.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Poster \/ A1 (59.4 x 84.1  cm) \/ -","offer_id":58861308510543,"sku":null,"price":55.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0833\/9292\/1935\/files\/The-Suicide-of-Dorothy-Hale_Poster_CompositorV1_1790146568024.jpg?v=1790147408","url":"https:\/\/www.solisprints.co.uk\/products\/the-suicide-of-dorothy-hale-frida-kahlo-1","provider":"Solis Prints","version":"1.0","type":"link"}