I Will Never Forget You: Frida Kahlo and Nickolas Muray

by Salomon Grimberg

Frida Kahlo—master painter, creative icon, and unconventional beauty—was superbly captured through the intimate lens of her friend, lover, and confidant, the photographer Nickolas Muray. Now back in print by popular demand, the classic volume I Will Never Forget You collects more than 50 striking portraits of Kahlo as we know and love her, wearing traditional costumes, heavy jewelry, and flowers in her hair. Archival letters and photographs that tell the story of Kahlo and Muray's touching relationship accompany these stunning plates and make for a truly unique celebration of one of the 20th century's most beloved artists.

Genres: Art, Biography, Photography, Nonfiction, Womens

119 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

Reviews

[Debra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the featured book for a recent exhibit at the Gilcrease Museum of Art, Frida Kahlo: Through the Lens of Nickolas Muray.

These photographs are amazing as are the selected letters between Kahlo and Muray, telling in their own way about their friendship and love affair.

Muray captures the exotic beauty of Kahlo as well as truly seeing into her soul.

If you're a Frida-phile, this book must be on your shelf.

[Dolcie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another book about Frida that I enjoyed, mostly because it had amazing pictures of Frida that you don't typically see in the other books about her life or even in the Frida Kahlo Museum. It was interesting to read about the relationship she had with Nickolas Muray, a different perspective and deeper insight into Frida's life.

[Anna Boudinot · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to see the exhibit that this book was born from, at the Museum of Latin American Art in Long Beach, CA. The photographs were stunning in real life and almost as impressive reprinted here. The love letters between Frida Kahlo and Nickolas Muray were more endearing in person - with their cursive scrawl - than they are transcribed in the book. Regardless it's an interesting glimpse into the world of the two lovers.

The reason this book only gets three stars is that the author depicted Kahlo as a petulant child, demanding attention from everyone without offering any true affection in return. The author also seemed to feel that Kahlo was a harlot of sorts, while Muray, even though he literally had the nickname "the lady killer," was an innocent and heartbroken victim. Now, I'm not a Kahlo scholar, and the author's bio indicates that he is, so I can't claim to know Kahlo better than he does. But it seems a bit bizarre that in a tale of two adults who are each sleeping with multiple people, Kahlo gets described as cold-hearted and Muray gets painted as an angel.

I don't buy it.

"She wanted Diego, she wanted Nick, and she seemed to want everything without paying the price," Grimberg writes.

To insinuate that Kahlo did not suffer is ridiculous. She was plagued with health issues her entire life, was married to an abusive man, and established herself as a prominent artist in an incredibly sexist field, during an era when most women didn't have careers.

Yes, Kahlo suffered. Just not in the way Grimberg wanted her to. I would be interested in seeing another author's take on the Muray-Kahlo relationship, assuming it weren't as acerbic as this book.

[Hermien · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful photographs and shows Frida from quite a different perspective.

[Valerie Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am enjoying this book, it gives an intresting insight of what life was like for Nickolas Murray, whom was one of the many lovers that Frida had, and what he went through to be in her life, knowing she would never be true to him.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting new photos I had not previously seen. Honestly, I looked at the pictures more than I read.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book of photographs which were taken by one of Frida's many lovers who happened to be an incredible photographer. The colors are amazing.

[Mike Ward · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful book - part art, part biography and part love letter

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[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found myself quite moved by this intersection of artist and artist and feelings and letters. The photographs are beautiful, captivating, lovely, and sad.