Wounded Deer

Later in her life, Kahlo was interested in ancient Eastern religions and mysticism, and The Wounded Deer assimilates her Mexican and European heritage with Eastern beliefs. The image is of Kahlo’s head placed on top of a stag that is pierced with arrows. The arrows no doubt refer to her own pain and suffering due to her injuries, as well as her injurious marriage to Diego Rivera. At the bottom of the painting, Kahlo has written “carma,” alluding to these Eastern mystic beliefs. She also combines the Eastern belief system with Aztec traditions. An ancient Aztec symbol, the deer symbolized the right foot: in this painting, she is alluding to her injured right side. Her foot had been crushed in a bus accident, and her right leg had been fractured in eleven places. One year before her death, her right leg was amputated up to the knee due to complications from gangrene.