Portrait of Alicia Galant

Mexican artist Frida Kahlo painted this portrait of her friend Alicia Galant in 1927, just three years after the devastating bus accident that would shape the rest of her life and art. The oil on canvas measures 107 by 93 centimeters and shows Kahlo's early interest in Italian Renaissance portraiture, particularly the work of Leonardo da Vinci, Titian, and Caravaggio.

At this point in her career, Kahlo was still developing the intensely personal style that would later make her famous. This portrait follows more traditional conventions than her later self-portraits, positioning Galant in a formal pose against a dark background. The influence of Old Masters is clear in the careful rendering of Alicia's face and the classical composition.

The painting belongs to the Dolores Olmedo Collection in Mexico City, which holds the largest collection of Kahlo's works in the world. Dolores Olmedo was a friend and patron of both Kahlo and Diego Rivera, and her museum preserves many pieces from their early careers alongside their mature works.