Public Domain
Portrait of Dr. Leo Eloesser
by Frida Kahlo
Where to See It
School of Medicine San Francisco (University of California), Los Angeles, CASan Francisco, US
Permanently housed
Frida Kahlo completed this portrait of her trusted friend and physician Dr. Leo Eloesser in 1931 during her first visit to San Francisco. The doctor stands beside a model sailing ship named "Los Tres Amigos" (The Three Friends), symbolizing the friendship between Kahlo, Eloesser, and Diego Rivera. A dedication in the corner reads "To my great friend."
Kahlo met Eloesser when hospitalized for leg pain in November 1930. Their friendship lasted twenty-four years, with the doctor advising on her many health crises. The painting now hangs at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, where Eloesser practiced for thirty-six years.
