A self-portrait by Mexican artist Frida Kahlo has shattered auction records, selling for $54.7 million at a Sotheby's auction in New York. The 1940 painting, titled "El sueño (la cama)" (The Dream (The Bed)), now holds the distinction of being the most expensive artwork by a female artist ever sold at auction.
The striking artwork depicts the artist sleeping in a bed that appears to float in the sky. Above the bed hovers a massive skeleton with dynamite wrapped around its legs, creating a haunting and surreal composition. According to Sotheby's auction house, Kahlo actually kept a cardboard skeleton hanging above her own bed, which served as inspiration for this powerful piece.
This record-breaking sale surpasses the previous high of $44.4 million, which was achieved in 2014 at a New York auction for an oil painting by American artist Georgia O'Keeffe. O'Keeffe is widely regarded as one of the most significant American painters of the 20th century and had held the record for nearly a decade.
Other female artists whose works have commanded eight-figure prices include Polish painter Tamara de Lempicka and American artist Joan Mitchell. However, these impressive sums still pale in comparison to the astronomical amounts that artworks by male artists regularly fetch at auction houses worldwide.
The sale of Kahlo's "El sueño" represents not only a personal triumph for the late Mexican artist's legacy but also highlights the ongoing gender disparity in the art market. Despite growing recognition of female artists' contributions to art history, their works continue to be significantly undervalued compared to their male counterparts. This record-breaking auction may signal a shift in how the market values works by women artists, potentially opening doors for more equitable pricing in future sales.
