Few Small Nips

Frida Kahlo

Starting from the top of the painting, the ribbon reads "Few Small Nips" and is held by two doves, one black and one white. This has been discussed as symbolizing the light and dark sides of love.

The title of this image is the same title as a newspaper article that describes the event of a woman who was murdered because she was caught in a relationship of infidelity. At the time of this murder was when Frida was processing the fact that her husband, Diego, was having an affair with her own sister. The name of the article comes from the murderer that said "It was just a few nips."

It's hard to see in this image but the biggest cut that the woman endured was over the heart, to show the fact that her heart was what was hurt the most despite the fact that she was the one that cheated on her husband.

The reality of this image is that Frida Kahlo was hurt and very angry at the actions of her husband and her sister. Even though the man in the picture is the heartbroken one in his relationship, Kahlo relates to both the murderer and the murdered saying that she felt, "murdered by life." Heart break was one thing that Frida knows a lot about, and through her paintings were the only way she knew how to express that.