Mexican artist Frida Kahlo's 1940 painting "The Dream (The Bed)" has shattered auction records, selling for $54.66 million at Sotheby's, making it the most expensive artwork by a woman ever sold at auction. However, behind this masterpiece lies a poignant tale of love, heartbreak, and artistic passion that began with Kahlo's decade-long romantic relationship with American photographer Nickolas Muray.
The painting's journey from Mexico to the international art market began in 1939 when Kahlo faced devastating personal upheaval. Having just returned from Paris, where the Louvre had purchased one of her works, she received crushing news from two important men in her life. Her husband, Diego Rivera, unexpectedly asked for a divorce, leaving Kahlo heartbroken and confused about his motivations. Almost simultaneously, Muray, who had been her lover for ten years and provided both emotional and financial support, announced his intention to marry someone else.
Professor Luis-Martín Lozano, a historian of Mexican and Latin American art, explains that the artwork represents far more than a simple self-portrait. According to Sotheby's description, it encapsulates Kahlo's lifelong preoccupation with mortality, physicality, and the emotional complexities of selfhood. Lozano notes that Kahlo had originally conceived "The Dream (The Bed)" as a gift of gratitude for Muray, who had been an unwavering source of support during their relationship. The expert suggests that Muray would have married Kahlo if she had found the strength to leave Rivera.
The timing of Muray's marriage announcement proved devastating for Kahlo, who was on the verge of completing the painting intended as his gift. As Lozano explains, the artwork deals with dreams but also relates to the constructed reality within Kahlo's subconscious. In this imagined world, she found peace, detached from Rivera's divorce demands and her chronic illness and pain. The painting represented her happiness with Muray, but this joy crumbled with news of his upcoming nuptials.
Rather than give the completed work to Muray, Kahlo devised an elaborate deception. In 1939, she wrote to the photographer claiming she had been forced to sell the painting to Mexico City's Misrachi Gallery due to urgent financial needs. However, Lozano's research reveals this was a lie – the letter was dated 1939, while the canvas bears a 1940 date. Kahlo hadn't even finished the painting when she wrote the fictitious letter, suggesting she couldn't bear to give such a personal work to someone who was no longer available to receive its message of gratitude and affection.
Following her deception, Kahlo continued offering "The Dream (The Bed)" to American collector friends for $400, even while maintaining the pretense that she no longer possessed it. Eventually, the painting did appear at the Misrachi Gallery, where it was purchased by Luis de Hoyos, about whom little is known except that he came to Mexico and enjoyed fishing. When de Hoyos died at his home near New York, the painting was among those consigned to Sotheby's for auction.
The artwork's departure from Mexico occurred between the 1940s and 1950s, before the Mexican government's 1984 decree declaring Kahlo's complete works an "Artistic Monument of the Nation" and prohibiting their export. On May 9, 1980, Sotheby's sold the painting to a private buyer, and it remained out of public view for 45 years until its triumphant return to auction last November.
Anna Di Stasi, director of Latin American Art at Sotheby's, attributes the painting's success to Kahlo's universal emotional appeal. She explains that Kahlo maintains a direct, emotional connection across generations with different women in various countries and diverse audiences. The reaction to Kahlo's work remains consistently emotional, which aligns with the fascination surrounding both her art and her life. Di Stasi describes "The Dream (The Bed)" as one of Kahlo's most surreal paintings, noting it represents not just a portrait of the artist's face but her emotional state and relationship with death, making it a highly psychoanalytic work.
The record-breaking sale reflects broader changes in the art market, according to Di Stasi, who notes that the industry has been building an art market primarily led by women for the past decade. Many of these artists are Latin American women who have gained significant exposure for their artistic production at prices unimaginable fifteen years ago. She believes these auctions establish a new understanding about the region and the cultural heritage of an entire continent.
While acknowledging that the art market fluctuates and has preferences similar to the design market, Di Stasi emphasizes the importance of remaining part of the ongoing conversation about art valuation. Regarding the timing of this record-breaking achievement and what it reveals about how society values such works, she concludes with measured optimism: "I don't know if we're late to the party, but I imagine it's better late than never." The sale of "The Dream (The Bed)" not only confirms Kahlo's enduring global appeal but also marks a significant milestone in recognizing the artistic and monetary value of works by women artists worldwide.
