self portrait with monkey frida kahloFrida Kahlo painted this picture in 1938, at a time when she was intensely exploring the genre of the self portrait as a means of expressing her emotions and identity. Commissioned by the New York artist and patron A. Conger Goodyear, this work also marks one of Frida's first major international successes. In it, she affirms her deep connection with nature, Mexican culture and the animals that surround her, while maintaining a strong frontal presence.