The Big Idea:

How is love expressed in art?

Activity overview

Frida Kahlo's life was filled with love for many things: her husband, Diego Rivera; her friends; her country; and her art. In this activity you will explore the ways in which Kahlo expressed this multifaceted love in her work.

Look closely

Click on the artist button at right to view detailed screens about the artist and her works. Be sure to click on all images, view all videos, read all documents, and look closely at the works of art.

In this activity you will:

1. brainstorm a list of ways that love can be expressed
2. view a video that highlights Kahlo's struggles with identity
3. respond in writing to express your thoughts and insights about Frida's love for Rivera
4. analyze how Kahlo's art conveys her relationship with Rivera
5. create a poem that expresses the role of love in Kahlo's life and art
6. present your poetry to your class
7. reflect on your classmates' poems and what you have learned about how love is expressed in art

You will be graded on:

1. contributions to class discussion
2. creativity of your expression of key ideas about the lesson theme in your poetry
3. participation in critiquing your classmates' poetry
4. the quality of your poetry performance (including clarity of expression and aesthetic effect)
5. your written reflection on what you've learned