Summary
A self-portrait by Frida Kahlo, titled "El sueño (La cama)," sold for $54.7 million at a Sotheby's auction. This sale set a new record for the highest price ever paid for a work by a female artist at auction. The painting depicts a personal moment from Kahlo's life and surpassed the previous high of $34.9 million for a Kahlo work sold in 2021.
Key Facts
- Frida Kahlo's painting sold for $54.7 million at Sotheby's.
- This sale set a new record for artwork by a female artist at auction.
- The painting, "El sueño (La cama)," was created in the 1940s during a difficult time in Kahlo's life.
- It sold for more than 1,000 times its original auction price in 1980.
- The previous highest auction price for Kahlo's art was $34.9 million in 2021.
- Kahlo's work often explores her personal struggles, including health issues from childhood polio and a bus accident.
- The painting was one of the few Kahlo works in public auctions due to export restrictions since the 1980s in Mexico.
- The highest previous price for a female artist's work was Georgia O'Keeffe's painting, sold for $44 million in 2014.
