Today is Frida Kahlo's 113th birth anniversary. A painter who has been described as a "magical realist" who immortalised her pain in her work.

Free-spirited and unorthodox, Frida Kahlo is revered as a female role model who took on the taboos of her day. Frida was known for her self-portraits, she was a feminist who broke societal norms by embracing her deformities.

She set her own trend by sporting a unibrow, a moustache and unique headgear. Kahlo's story begins in 1907. She was born Magdalena Carmen Frieda in Mexico City. Kahlo's father was a German photographer. Frida Kahlo contracted polio around the age of 6 and she was bedridden for the next nine months.

The illness damaged her right leg and foot and left her with a limp and this was just the beginning of a life full of setbacks, one that Frida immortalised in her work.

In 1922, Frida became one of the first female students to attend the national preparatory school and wanted to be a doctor. However, three years later her life changed when travelling with her boyfriend she met with an accident. She was just 18 years old when she fractured her spine and pelvis and was hospitalised for several weeks which turned into months. While being confined to bed, Frida turned to art.

In 1929, she married Muralist Diego Rivera. The marriage was far from a happy as Frida was saddened by Rivera's infidelities when she found out about her husband's affair with her sister, Kahlo chopped off her trademark long hair. It was her response to family betrayal but there was no end to her heartbreaks. She miscarried in 1934 and divorced her husband, only to marry him again a year later.

They lived separate lives and had numerous affairs. The tumult of the relationship made its way to Kahlo's canvas. In her painting--"Frieda and Diego Rivera' the couple is seen in a rather formal pose - a moment captured just two years into their marriage.

Most of Kahlos' works were self-portraits. The artist said she was forced to be her own muse as she had no one. Her work is deeply personal and was stroked by pain. In her painting, Kahlo is seen on a hospital bed floating around her is a fetus, a snail, a pelvis&nbsp;- the broken column captures her physical pain. It shows the artist's skin studded with nails. Kahlo's heath became all-consuming in 1950 when she was diagnosed with gangrene in her right foot. Her right leg had to be amputated, one year later, she died - she was just 47.

Over the years, her life has been celebrated in books and movies. Frida Kahlo is remembered as the artist who created her own brand - one that was far ahead of her times.

Today is Frida Kahlo's 113th birth anniversary. A painter who has been described as a "magical realist" who immortalised her pain in her work. Free-spirited and unorthodox, Frida Kahlo is revered as a female role model who took on the taboos of her day.

Today is Frida Kahlo's 113th birth anniversary. A painter who has been described as a "magical realist" who immortalised her pain in her work. Free-spirited and unorthodox, Frida Kahlo is revered as a female role model who took on the taboos of her day. Frida was known for her self-portraits, she was a feminist who broke societal norms by embracing her deformities. She set her own trend by sporting a unibrow, a moustache and unique headgear. Kahlo's story begins in 1907. She was born Magdalena Carmen Frieda in Mexico City. Kahlo's father was a German photographer. Frida Kahlo contracted polio around the age of 6 and she was bedridden for the next nine months. The illness damaged her right leg and foot and left her with a limp and this was just the beginning of a life full of setbacks, one that Frida immortalised in her work. In 1922, Frida became one of the first female students to attend the national preparatory school and wanted to be a doctor. However, three years later her life changed when travelling with her boyfriend she met with an accident. She was just 18 years old when she fractured her spine and pelvis and was hospitalised for several weeks which turned into months. While being confined to bed, Frida turned to art. In 1929, she married Muralist Diego Rivera. The marriage was far from a happy as Frida was saddened by Rivera's infidelities when she found out about her husband's affair with her sister, Kahlo chopped off her trademark long hair. It was her response to family betrayal but there was no end to her heartbreaks. She miscarried in 1934 and divorced her husband, only to marry him again a year later. They lived separate lives and had numerous affairs. The tumult of the relationship made its way to Kahlo's canvas. In her painting--"Frieda and Diego Rivera' the couple is seen in a rather formal pose - a moment captured just two years into their marriage. Most of Kahlos' works were self-portraits. The artist said she was forced to be her own muse as she had no one. Her work is deeply personal and was stroked by pain. In her painting, Kahlo is seen on a hospital bed floating around her is a fetus, a snail, a pelvis - the broken column captures her physical pain. It shows the artist's skin studded with nails. Kahlo's heath became all-consuming in 1950 when she was diagnosed with gangrene in her right foot. Her right leg had to be amputated, one year later, she died - she was just 47. Over the years, her life has been celebrated in books and movies. Frida Kahlo is remembered as the artist who created her own brand - one that was far ahead of her times.

Frida Kahlo: A 'magical realist' immortalised in self-portraits

The new Frida Kahlo Barbie raised eyebrows, and indeed unibrows, from the moment it was announced.

Now the late Mexican artist&#39;s family alleges the rights to her image have been stolen, and accuses toymaker Mattel of misrepresenting her appearance and ignoring what she stood for.

Mattel announced on Wednesday that Kahlo, a painter known for her searingly intimate portraits as well as her defiantly unplucked eyebrows, would be included in its newest collection of Barbie dolls.

It was perhaps an unlikely choice for the maker of the famously buxom blonde doll, given that Kahlo was known for upending gender norms and traditional ideas about how women should look and act.

Released just ahead of International Women&#39;s Day, the &quot;Inspiring Women&quot; collection includes dolls based on Kahlo, aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart, African-American mathematician Katherine Johnson and other historical figures.

But Kahlo&#39;s family soon issued a statement objecting to the doll.

&quot;Mrs Mara Romeo, great-niece of Frida Kahlo, is the sole owner of the rights of the image of the illustrious Mexican painter Frida Kahlo,&quot; it said.

&quot;The company Mattel does not have the proper authorization to use the image of Frida Kahlo,&quot; it added, threatening to take &quot;necessary measures&quot; against the California-based toymaker.

However, an American company called the Frida Kahlo Corporation insisted it was the legitimate owner of the rights.

&quot;Mattel has worked in close partnership with the Frida Kahlo Corporation, the owner of all rights related to the name and identity of Frida Kahlo, on the creation of this doll,&quot; it said in a statement.

Romeo&#39;s lawyer Pablo Sangri said the dispute arose after the family established the Frida Kahlo Corporation in 2005, in partnership with another company called Casablanca Distributors.

The latter has violated their now-expired contract by failing to inform Kahlo&#39;s relatives about the uses of her &quot;brand,&quot; he told AFP.

And the contract never granted the Corporation rights to Kahlo&#39;s image in the first place, only &quot;certain uses of her name,&quot; he said.

&quot;The Frida Kahlo Corporation doesn&#39;t hold, never held and will never hold the rights to Frida&#39;s image.&quot;But the problem goes deeper than just a dispute over image rights, said Romeo, the granddaughter of Kahlo&#39;s sister Cristina.

Kahlo was known for her assertive embrace of her Mexican identity and her unabashed, unmanicured femininity.

&quot;I would have liked the doll to have traits more like Frida&#39;s, not this doll with light-colored eyes. I would have liked her to have a unibrow, for her clothes to be made by Mexican artisans,&quot; she told AFP.

&quot;It should be a doll that represents everything my aunt represented, her strength. It should be a Frida that represents Mexico.&quot;

With her slender face and almond eyes -- topped by just the slightest hint of hair between her brows -- the Frida Kahlo Barbie looks only vaguely like the real-life Frida.

In recent years, Kahlo&#39;s image has been stamped onto an explosion of consumer products: nail polish, bags, shoes, coffee mugs and much, much more.

Her instantly recognizable look -- unibrow, thick black braids, flowery, hand-embroidered Mexican &quot;tehuana&quot; dresses -- and the boldness with which she wore it have turned her into a pop icon.

But Romeo said the companies behind such products are making them without the family&#39;s permission, and violating Kahlo&#39;s legacy in the process.

&quot;These products don&#39;t mesh with what Frida was. They should contribute something to the world,&quot; she said.

Kahlo (1907-1954), the wife of the Mexican muralist Diego Rivera, is today considered one of the great painters of the 20th century, particularly for her self-portraits, often brimming with pain and isolation. 
&nbsp;

The late Mexican artist's family alleges the rights to her image have been stolen and accuses toymaker Mattel of misrepresenting her appearance

The new Frida Kahlo Barbie raised eyebrows, and indeed unibrows, from the moment it was announced. Now the late Mexican artist's family alleges the rights to her image have been stolen, and accuses toymaker Mattel of misrepresenting her appearance and ignoring what she stood for. Mattel announced on Wednesday that Kahlo, a painter known for her searingly intimate portraits as well as her defiantly unplucked eyebrows, would be included in its newest collection of Barbie dolls. It was perhaps an unlikely choice for the maker of the famously buxom blonde doll, given that Kahlo was known for upending gender norms and traditional ideas about how women should look and act. Released just ahead of International Women's Day, the "Inspiring Women" collection includes dolls based on Kahlo, aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart, African-American mathematician Katherine Johnson and other historical figures. But Kahlo's family soon issued a statement objecting to the doll. "Mrs Mara Romeo, great-niece of Frida Kahlo, is the sole owner of the rights of the image of the illustrious Mexican painter Frida Kahlo," it said. "The company Mattel does not have the proper authorization to use the image of Frida Kahlo," it added, threatening to take "necessary measures" against the California-based toymaker. However, an American company called the Frida Kahlo Corporation insisted it was the legitimate owner of the rights. "Mattel has worked in close partnership with the Frida Kahlo Corporation, the owner of all rights related to the name and identity of Frida Kahlo, on the creation of this doll," it said in a statement. Romeo's lawyer Pablo Sangri said the dispute arose after the family established the Frida Kahlo Corporation in 2005, in partnership with another company called Casablanca Distributors. The latter has violated their now-expired contract by failing to inform Kahlo's relatives about the uses of her "brand," he told AFP. And the contract never granted the Corporation rights to Kahlo's image in the first place, only "certain uses of her name," he said. "The Frida Kahlo Corporation doesn't hold, never held and will never hold the rights to Frida's image."But the problem goes deeper than just a dispute over image rights, said Romeo, the granddaughter of Kahlo's sister Cristina. Kahlo was known for her assertive embrace of her Mexican identity and her unabashed, unmanicured femininity. "I would have liked the doll to have traits more like Frida's, not this doll with light-colored eyes. I would have liked her to have a unibrow, for her clothes to be made by Mexican artisans," she told AFP. "It should be a doll that represents everything my aunt represented, her strength. It should be a Frida that represents Mexico." With her slender face and almond eyes -- topped by just the slightest hint of hair between her brows -- the Frida Kahlo Barbie looks only vaguely like the real-life Frida. In recent years, Kahlo's image has been stamped onto an explosion of consumer products: nail polish, bags, shoes, coffee mugs and much, much more. Her instantly recognizable look -- unibrow, thick black braids, flowery, hand-embroidered Mexican "tehuana" dresses -- and the boldness with which she wore it have turned her into a pop icon. But Romeo said the companies behind such products are making them without the family's permission, and violating Kahlo's legacy in the process. "These products don't mesh with what Frida was. They should contribute something to the world," she said. Kahlo (1907-1954), the wife of the Mexican muralist Diego Rivera, is today considered one of the great painters of the 20th century, particularly for her self-portraits, often brimming with pain and isolation.

Row erupts over new Frida Kahlo Barbie

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Frida Kahlo: A 'magical realist' immortalised in self-portraits

Row erupts over new Frida Kahlo Barbie