New York – Frida Kahlo made history: a painting by the Mexican painter was auctioned for 54.7 million US dollars (about 48 million euros) – the highest price ever achieved for a work by a woman.
Frida Kahlo (1907-1954) was inspired by Mexican traditions such as Día de los Muertos and the colorful figure of Judas. The 1940 painting “El sueño (La cama)” shows him sleeping in a four-poster bed with a frame on top, surrounded by explosives and flowers. It represents the constant closeness to death, but also hope and vitality.
Record price reached: “El sueño (La cama)” by Frida Kahlo sells for $54.7 million
From $51,000 to $54.7 million
Green tendrils coiled around his body, the clouds giving off a dreamlike view. Due to polio and serious injuries from a bus accident, he spent much of his time in bed and began painting there.
Two bidders engaged in a tense five-minute battle at Sotheby’s. Who ultimately won the contract was initially kept secret. “El sueño (La cama)” was last sold in 1980 – then for just $51,000. A thousandfold increase in value!
A heated bidding battle in New York: two strangers fought over a Kahlo painting for several minutes
A new record of women’s art
Kahlo thus clearly surpassed previous record holder Georgia O’Keeffe. Their work “Jimson Weed/White Flower No. 1” was auctioned in 2014 for $44 million.
“This record result shows how far we have come, not only in our recognition of Frida Kahlo’s genius, but also in the recognition of women artists at the highest levels of the market,” said Anna Di Stasi, head of Latin American art at Sotheby’s.
Other works have caused a sensation earlier in the week: Painting by Austrian master Gustav Klimt (1862-1918) sold for $236.4 million – the second most expensive auction price of all time. However, the most expensive work of art in the world remains the “Salvator Mundi” painting attributed to Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519). It was sold in New York in 2017 for an incredible $450.3 million.
