Frida saw flowers as a symbol of sexuality and feelings. She would often project her sexuality onto her paintings. Sometimes the sexual innuendos are subtle and not so obvious, as in her earlier painting "Fruits of the Earth - 1938", and other times they are the main focus as in this painting. Here she paints an inverted mandrake plant in the form of male and female sex organs. As the sun in the background generates life, sperm shoots from the phallic stamen and vagina-like leaves form the petaled womb that protects the growing fetus. Although this painting is dated 1944, it was actually painted in 1943. Its original title was "Flame Flower". This painting was exhibited at the "First Salon of the Flower" organized by the Secretaria de Agricultura y Fomento (1943). [http://www.fridakahlofans.com/c0413.html]