Frida Kahlo’s ‘Self-portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird’ features the artist surrounded by Mexican cacti leaves, a monkey, a black cat and two dragonflies. She wears a necklace of thorns around her neck, from which hangs a hummingbird. She sports a blank expression and is wearing a traditional Mexican dress.
   This picture is generally symmetrical because the monkey and the cat are on either shoulder, her figure and face are symmetrical, the leaves in the background don’t stray too far from each other and the two dragonflies both fly around her head. Aside from Kahlo herself the details of the picture are not symmetrical, only the use of elements, principles and the positioning of certain parts of the picture.

   The portrait is ironically warm and comfortable looking in colour. Bright greens and yellows dominate both the foreground and the background, though they are broken up by deep-blacks and, at the top of the picture, a dull-blue. The only colourless part of this picture is Kahlo’s dress, though it is covered somewhat by brown thorns.

   Lines play a more important part than it may look at first. Kahlo’s expression relies on lines to create the disinterest in the eyes and the mouth as well as to create the shape of the nose. The lines create depth and detail in the leaves that sit in the background, without them there would be big yellow-green splotches in the background. The last place lines are used is the thorn necklace, it is used to outline and give shape to the thorns.

   Though the artist looks bored and un-moved in this picture there is still a sense of movement around her. The monkey is depicted picking at the thorns like he’s interested in them and can be easily pictured as though the picture were moving. The cat looks over her other shoulder, though it doesn’t look comfortable enough to be standing completely still and you can picture its tail moving. The main source of movement however sits atop Kahlo’s head where the dragonflies are buzzing around; the way her hair is tied up can give the impression that they are moving in a figure-8 motion.

   Overall, the elements and principles of design come together and create a sense of irony that goes hand-in-hand with the symbolism of the portrait. It is warm, harmonious and symmetrical with a sense of movement and small lines that are more important than they seem.