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Kahlo Self-Portrait Shatters Art World Records
21 Nov
Summary
- Frida Kahlo's 1940 self-portrait sold for $54.7 million.
- The painting broke the record for the most expensive artwork by a female artist.
- The artwork depicts Kahlo asleep with a dynamite-wrapped skeleton above.
A 1940 self-portrait by Frida Kahlo, titled "El sueño (La cama)" or "The Dream (The Bed)", has shattered art world records, selling for $54.7 million at a New York auction. This monumental sale officially designates the painting as the most expensive artwork ever sold by a female artist, surpassing previous benchmarks set by artists like Georgia O'Keeffe. The painting depicts Kahlo in a dreamlike state with a skeleton figure.
The artwork's sale price, including fees, significantly exceeded its $40-$60 million estimate and also broke the record for Latin American art previously held by Kahlo's own "Diego y Yo." While the buyer remains anonymous, the painting's departure from private hands outside Mexico has raised discussions about cultural preservation, as Kahlo's works are considered national artistic monuments within her home country.
Kahlo, known for her unsparing self-portraits reflecting her life's traumas and chronic pain, famously resisted the label of surrealist, stating, "I never painted dreams. I painted my own reality." "El sueño (La cama)" is seen by art historians as a profound meditation on mortality and anxiety, offering a glimpse into the artist's inner world.
