L'œuvre en bref

Frida Kahlo painted this picture in 1937, at a time when she was exploring in depth the memories of her childhood and the emotional ties that were missing. Shortly after her mother's death, Frida decided to depict one of the most important figures in her early life: her native nanny. Her mother had been unable to breastfeed her, so a woman of Mexican origin had been hired to feed her. This painting combines memory, emotional distance and homage to the indigenous culture that Frida valued so highly in her work.

Frida, a baby with the body of a child but a grown-up face, lies in the arms of a brown-skinned nurse, whose face is replaced by a frozen, impassive pre-Columbian mask. A bouquet of milk spurts from her breast into Frida's mouth. In the background, dense foliage and heavy rain reinforce the sensation of humidity and fertility. The mask's empty gaze contrasts with the nurturing gesture, emphasizing the absence of emotion or emotional connection.

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