New documentary looks beyond the merchandise and myths to uncover the real Frida Kahlo

Mexican artist Frida Kahlo created plenty of self-portraits during her career, but even she may have been surprised at just how ubiquitous her image has become.

While her works have remained popular, you can also find plenty of magnets and mugs bearing the painter’s own distinctive image. There has also been a great deal of interest in Khalo’s unconventional personal life, including her relationship with her husband and fellow artist Diego Rivera.

Now, this new three-part documentary series attempts to look beyond the merchandise and the myths to uncover the real Kahlo, painting its own portrait of a passionate and brilliant artist who lived through extraordinary times.

It begins with her early life. The artist was born in Coyoacán, Mexico City, in 1907 and grew up during a time of revolution.

She had dreams of becoming a doctor, but then in 1925, she was gravely injured when a tram crashed into the bus she was travelling on. The accident left her in pain for the rest of her life and forced her to spend three months confined to bed.

During her recuperation, she passed the time by painting, creating portraits of her sisters, friends and herself. Kahl would later say that this period made her want to paint “things just as I saw them with my own eyes and nothing more.”

So, once she had recovered enough to venture out into Mexico City and its thriving creative scene, she was determined to track down the famous artist Diego Rivera and find out if he thought she had potential.

Some of Kahlo’s fans have questioned whether the fascination with her relationship with Rivera has sometimes detracted from her achievements, but there is little doubt that he’s a key figure in her story.

Art historian Professor Luis-Martin Lozano, who is one of the contributors to this series, told The Observer: “[Rivera] was her first fan and told her to be herself. He realised she had potential and encouraged her to go on. He was a great provider for her, at the same time, and you cannot deny she would not have blossomed so well without him. Rivera provided stability but her paintings are hers.”

He wasn’t her only inspiration. She also befriended the photographer and former Hollywood actress, Tina Modotti, who was politically radical and sexually liberated, and became something of a role model for the young Kahlo.

It was at one of Modotti’s parties that Kahlo saw Rivera again, and this time, they fell in love.

Six months later, they were married – Kahlo was 22, and he was 20 years her senior, and she quickly discovered that she wasn’t in for a life of traditional wedded bliss.

Contributors the the programme include biographers Martha Zamora and Hayden Herrera, Frida’s great-niece Cristina Kahlo, art historian Marina Vasquez Ramos, Diego Rivera’s grandson Juan Coronel Rivera, and authors Gannit Ankori and Stephanie Smith who provide an insight into how this key period helped to shape Kahlo’s life and work.