Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera's wedding on 21 August 1929
21 August 2024
Frida Kahlo got married to Diego Rivera on August 21, 1929, in a civil ceremony held in the Coyoacan town hall. She covered herself with a red reboso shawl and wore a long skirt and blouse borrowed from her Indian maid. Diego had a Colt revolver by his side, a Stetson hat, and a simple gray suit on.
Frida was 22, weighed only 98 pounds and was only 5'3" while Diego was 42 years old, 6'1" and 300 pounds. Frida's mother declained from attending the wedding ceremony because she disapproved the union. Diego, according to her, was too old, too fat, and worse, an atheist and Communist. She said of the union, "... the marriage between an elephant and a dove."
Despite being an atheist himself, Frida's father was less opposed to the union and attended the wedding. He recognized that Diego had the resources to cover his daughter's medical expenses. Diego's father pulled Diego aside during one of Frida's regular visits to the Kahlo residence and said, "My daughter is sick and always will be... she's intelligent but not pretty....."It appears that you have an interest in my daughter, huh? "She is a devil," said Kahlo in response to Rivera's admission that he was. Diego answered, "I know..." "Well, I've warned you," declared Kahlo as she exited the space.
While some of Frida's friends were surprised by her decision, others believed it was a move toward furthering her own artistic career.
The wedding was characterized as "modest, without ostentation, without pompous and unpretentious" by the local newspaper, La Prensa. The article began by referring to Frida as "... one of his [Diego's] disciples" and continued by stating that she was dressed in "... very simple street clothes." Following the nuptials, Frida left the Blue House to live in the city center with Diego.
Diego then went to the following wedding reception and started getting ridiculously drunk. He shattered several items on the table, broke the little finger of another man, and brandished his pistol in a fit of rage. Frida felt furious about his actions. After an argument, Frida burst into tears and left. It took her a few days to move in with Diego.
