What was the title of Frida Kahlo’s first completed oil painting, made in 1926?

Frida Kahlo’s first completed oil painting, made in 1926, was Self-Portrait in a Velvet Dress.

Kahlo created the portrait while recovering from the serious injuries caused by her 1925 bus accident. She was largely confined to bed, and her mother arranged a special easel so she could paint while lying down. A mirror fixed above her allowed her to use herself as a model, helping establish the self-portrait format that became central to her career.

In the painting, Kahlo wears a long red velvet dress and presents herself against a dark background with stylized waves. The work reflects European portrait conventions while already showing her intense, direct gaze and carefully controlled self-image.

This painting is sometimes confused with Kahlo’s later self-portraits because she produced many of them. It is specifically important as her first completed oil painting, not because it was her first artwork of any kind or her first public exhibition.