Without Hope, 1945 by Frida Kahlo

This painting was painted in the year of 1945 when Frida Kahlo was forced to be fed by the prescription of her doctor. In the back of this painting Frida Kahlo wrote down the following explanation:

Not the least hope remains to me...Everything move in time with what the belly contains. ”

At that time Frida Kahlo was suffered from a lack of appetite due to her many surgeries and numerous illnesses. She became very thin and malnourished. Her doctor, Dr Eloesser, prescribed her complete bed rest and a forced fattening diet of puréed food every two hours.

In this painting, Frida Kahlo, depicts what she went through with the "forced feeding" diet. The disgusting food with animals and skulls was held by the wooden structure which used to hold her canvases for painting. It seems her arms are pinned underneath and cannot help with the situation. The background is a deserted Mexican landscape showing both the sun and the moon. The situation seems to be Without Hope.