The Wounded Deer

Later in her life, Kahlo was interested in ancient Eastern religions and mysticism, and The Little Deer is an assimilation of her Mexican and European heritage with these ancient beliefs. The image is of Kahlo’s head placed on top of a stag, which 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 ancient mystic beliefs. She also combines the eastern belief system with Aztec. An ancient Aztec symbol, the deer symbolized the right foot, and in this she was alluding to her injured right side, the foot of which had been crushed in a bus accident, and right leg being fractured in eleven different places. One year before her death, her right leg was amputated up to her right knee, due to complications from gangrene.