The vibrant watermelon pattern on this eye-catching scarf is taken from Viva La Vida, Watermelons, the last painting by Mexican artist Frida Kahlo (1907–1954).

In Kahlo’s short life, she created some of the most iconic works of the twentieth century. Her paintings, many of them portraits and self-portraits, incorporate elements of Mexican folk art, images of events from her own life, and vivid, sometimes eerie depictions of fantasy. While this has sometimes earned her a reputation as a surrealist, Kahlo rejected the title, saying, “I don’t really know if my paintings are surreal or not, but I do know that they represent the frankest expression of myself.”

Viva La Vida, Watermelons, completed just eight days before Kahlo’s death, is a still life of watermelons, some whole, some cut in pieces, at once both elegiac and celebratory. Watermelons are often used in Día de los Muertos celebrations, a connection of the living to the dead. Art historians have observed that each watermelon is a slightly different shade of green, signifying different points in the cycles of their life. “Viva la vida” (in Spanish, “long live life”) is painted on the central watermelon in the painting, along with her signature: Frida Kahlo, Coyoacán 1954 Mexico—the place of both her birth and death, the year the painting was created and the year of her death. The bold reds of this scarf are a celebration of this painting and her work: resplendent, soulful, and joyous.

Kahlo is celebrated around the world for her outspoken advocacy of women, people with disabilities, and indigenous people, especially those of her native Mexico.

The scarf is beautifully made—the hems of the scarf are hand-rolled and sewn, not machine-stitched. Because it is silk chiffon, it can easily be tied in a variety of ways; it is large enough to wear as a light shawl.

Dimensions: 71" x 20". Dry clean only. Comes in a box suitable for gifting, along with a card detailing the origins of the image on the scarf.