This is a self-portrait showing the artist Frida Kahlo lying in bed: The painting “El sueño (La cama)” sold for nearly 55 million dollars at an auction in New York – more than any work by a woman has ever fetched.
A painting by Mexican artist Frida Kahlo (1907-1954) has been auctioned in New York for $54.7 million. This is the most expensive work by a woman ever sold at auction.
Two bidders competed for five minutes for the painting “El sueño (La cama)”, painted in 1940, which shows Kahlo lying in bed, auction house Sotheby’s said. Who ultimately won the contract was not announced.
The most expensive work of female art ever sold at auction was the painting “Jimson Weed / White Flower no.1” by US artist Georgia O’Keeffe, which sold for $44 million in 2014. The previous record for a work by Kahlo was 34.9 million and was reached in 2021.
Kahlo’s work was last auctioned in 1980
“El sueño (La cama)” was last auctioned in 1980 – for 51,000 dollars, about one thousandth of the current price. “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 auction house.
At the traditional autumn auction at a major auction house in New York, a record was set at the beginning of the week: a painting by the Austrian painter Gustav Klimt (1862-1918) was auctioned for 236.4 million dollars – making it the second most expensive work in the history of art ever sold at auction.
As of 2017, the most expensive work of art ever auctioned was the painting “Salvator Mundi,” by Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519), which was auctioned in New York for $450.3 million.
