A painting by Mexican artist Frida Kahlo (1907-1954) has sold for $54.7 million (approximately 48 million euros) at a New York auction, making it the most expensive artwork by a woman ever sold at auction. Two bidders engaged in a five-minute bidding war over the 1940 painting 'El sueño (La cama),' which depicts Kahlo lying in bed, according to Sotheby's auction house. The identity of the winning bidder was not disclosed.
The painting, titled 'The Dream (The Bed)' in English, represents the artist's exploration of life and death. It shows Frida Kahlo sleeping in a four-poster bed, with a skeleton wrapped in dynamite lying on top of it. This powerful imagery reflects Kahlo's frequent contemplation of mortality and her own physical struggles throughout her life.
The previous record for the most expensive artwork by a woman sold at auction was held by 'Jimson Weed/White Flower No. 1' by American artist Georgia O'Keeffe, which sold for $44 million in 2014. The previous record for a Kahlo work was $34.9 million, achieved in 2021. Remarkably, 'El sueño (La cama)' was last auctioned in 1980 for $51,000 – approximately one-thousandth of its current price, demonstrating the dramatic appreciation in value over the past four decades.
Anna Di Stasi, head of Sotheby's Latin American Art department, commented on the historic sale: '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 female artists at the highest level of the market.' This statement highlights the growing appreciation for women artists in the traditionally male-dominated art market.
The sale occurred during the traditional fall auctions of major auction houses in New York, which had already seen another record set earlier in the week. A painting by Austrian artist Gustav Klimt (1862-1918) sold for $236.4 million, making it the second most expensive work ever sold at auction in art history. The most expensive artwork remains 'Salvator Mundi,' attributed to Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519), which sold in New York for $450.3 million in 2017, setting a benchmark that still stands today.
