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Frida Kahlo Autograph Manuscript (Unsigned). ...
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Description
Frida Kahlo Autograph Manuscript (Unsigned). Two pages on the cover of a sketch pad, 25.5" x 9.5", no place; [circa 1938]. Front and back cover of a sketch pad with notes pertaining to charges launched against Leon Trotsky by Joseph Stalin and the subsequent commission led by philosopher John Dewey to defend Trotsky. The renowned artist and fervent Trotskyist writes a list of seventeen questions. Kahlo's name appears twice on the front but we are unable to confirm that it is her handwriting.Kahlo's notes reflect her growing concern surrounding the results of the Dewey Commission and her paranoia regarding Stalin's international reach. Translated into English, she writes, in part, "What can the tribunal do against the terrorism created by Litonov [Maxim Litvinov, Soviet Foreign Commissar]?... Do you have any news on the effect of the Commission's failure in the eyes of the American and European public? Why hasn't the Mexican press said anything while European and American newspapers have published front-page articles? ... Do you think that the decision made by P. Roosevelt to harbor Trotskyists...as political refugees in the U.S. was influenced by the failure of the Commission led by Prof. Dewey, a national philosopher from the U.S., and because of the false Stalinist evidence that came to light in the last of the Moscow trials?... What do you know about a mysterious American female agent from the S.P.U. that was just called to Mexico for unknown reasons? ... What do you think Stalin believes he is obligated to do now?"
Kahlo's questions centered around charges of treason against Trotsky made by the Soviet Union and the subsequent sham trial that took place. In August 1936, the Soviet government accused Trotsky of hatching a plot to overthrow Stalin and announced that a trial would commence immediately in Moscow. Trotsky had been living in Norway and promptly sought a way off the European continent. Active members of the Fourth International (also known as Trotskyite International), Kahlo and her husband, Diego Rivera, convinced Mexican President Lázaro Cárdenas to offer Trotsky asylum. Once he arrived in Mexico City, he resided at Kahlo's Casa Azul in Coyoacán from 1937 to 1939.
In addition to aid offered by Kahlo and the Mexican government, Trotsky also received help from the American Committee for the Defense of Leon Trotsky. Led by philosopher, John Dewey, the commission included several Marxist journalists and activists. In April 1937, Dewey and his followers traveled to Coyoacán to conduct a series of hearings aimed at proving Trotsky's innocence. Unsurprisingly, the commission had little to no effect on the Soviet proceedings and Stalin found Trotsky guilty of all charges, sentencing him to death. Trotsky and his wife remained in Mexico City until his assassination in 1940. Although Kahlo and her sister were considered briefly by the police to be suspects, they were removed from the investigation shortly thereafter.
It is likely that Kahlo scribbled these notes after the conclusion of the Dewey Commission due to the clear disappointment reflected in her questions. At the time that Dewey's hearings took place, Trotsky and Kahlo were engaged in a brief but intense affair, heightening her dedication to Trotsky's cause. This manuscript offers rare and candid insight into the fervor with which Kahlo approached issues that were important to her, including the protection of Leon Trotsky and the future of communism.
Condition: Creased along the center fold and partially separated. Staining to the left margin that affects text on recto and verso. Dampstaining to right center and pencil notations to the margins. Thumb soiling to the right margin.
Provenance: Gift from Ruth Rivera Marín to Berta Taracena, and by inheritance to our consignor.
Auction Info
2023 September 21 Historical Manuscripts Signature® Auction #6272 (go to Auction Home page)
Auction Dates
September, 2023
21st
Thursday
Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: 1
Lot Tracking Activity: N/A
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