Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera—the art world power couple of the 20^th century—are being celebrated in a joint exhibition of their work at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta. Frida & Diego: Passion, Politics, and Painting continues through May 12, featuring more than 120 pieces, including a number of Rivera’s oil paintings, which are less well known than his mural projects. It also includes a number of Kahlo’s still-life paintings, which made up a large portion of her output but have been somewhat overshadowed by her self-portraits.

By the time the two married in 1929, Rivera was already an established artist, perhaps best known for more than 200 public murals that depict scenes from Mexican history. He lived in Europe from 1907 through 1921, beginning in Spain and then moving on to Paris. During that time he befriended many famous artists—including Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque, Amedeo Modigliani and Henri Matisse. Kahlo, 20 years younger, was unknown as an artist at the time. The main subject of her work—self-portraits that depict the physical and emotional torment she endured as a result of a horrible bus accident—became her way to channel her suffering.

Soon after their marriage, Rivera was commissioned to paint murals in New York, Detroit and San Francisco. The couple lived in the U.S. for three years, and became the center of attention wherever they went. On returning to Mexico, their tortured personal life, which encompassed Rivera’s infidelities (one of his conquests was Kahlo’s own sister), a divorce and remarriage, Kahlo’s ongoing hospitalizations and surgeries and inability to conceive, often seemed to overshadow their artistic successes.

But it was their passionate attachment to Mexico, it’s history and culture, that anchored each artist, however differently, in their work, and made a foundation for a marriage that endured for 25 years.

"What our show really tries to do is bring these two artists together, to talk about their shared context, the influences that really brought them together as a couple—their shared commitment to Mexico, their shared politics, their commitment to the Marxist revolution—and I think that's a story that really hasn't been told fully because the two artists have been seen in isolation," said curator Elliott King.

Frida & Diego: Passion, Politics, and Painting continues through May 12 at the High Museum of Art. 1290 Peachtree Street N.E., Atlanta, GA.

A series of public events also continues including Inside the Studio of Diego Rivera on Thursday, April 18, at 7 pm. From 1934 to 1940, Frida and Diego lived in an avant-garde complex designed by their friend, the architect and painter, Juan O’Gorman. This program is free but tickets are required as seating is limited. Tickets are available through the Woodruff Arts Center Box Office at 404-733-5000. Please note: tickets are limited to two per person. Save your ticket stub for a special opportunity to view the works in the exhibition following this program.

This week the film program features Post Tenebras Lux (Carlos Reygada, dir, 2012), which earned Best Director prize at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. The program includes a discussion and Q&A with Reygada. Tickets $7.

Also see the July 2010 DART feature on photographs of Frida Kahlo.