Rosa Elizalde, Frida Kahlo’s self-portrait El sueño (la cama), sold at auction for a record $54.7m (£41.8m). Such an impressive collective sale set a new record for a female artist! This extraordinary sale follows almost four decades since the painting first auctioned for a mere $5,500 back in 1980. Now, it has exploded to more than 1,000 times its original value!
Kahlo, who died in 1954, has become one of the most iconic painters of the last hundred years. Known best for her intimate self-portraits, her paintings serve as maelstroms of emotional upheaval, channeling the chaos of her personal life and mental state. El sueño (la cama) becomes one of her most “psychologically charged” self-portraits. She wrote it in extraordinarily rough times, fraught with personal tumult.
Since the 1980s, Mexican federal authorities have declared Kahlo’s artworks as artistic monuments, making it illegal for them to be exported without official permission. This change emphasizes the cultural significance and national pride permeating her legacy. Her 2002 biographical film led by Salma Hayek helped raise awareness of her life and art. Beyond that, it starkly illustrated her tumultuous history with another artist, husband Diego Rivera and laid bare her corporeal and existential battle.
El sueño (la cama) emerged from a turbulent chapter in Kahlo’s life, coinciding with the assassination of her former lover and her painful divorce and subsequent remarriage. These experiences deeply impacted her art, giving her the ability to express her pain and strength through her work.
Anna Di Stasi, an art expert, commented on the significance of this record-breaking sale:
“This record-breaking result shows just how far we have come, not only in our appreciation of Frida Kahlo’s genius, but in the recognition of women artists at the very highest level of the market.”
The multimillion-dollar sale of El sueño (la cama) underscores Kahlo’s continued, and sometimes contentious, influence on the contemporary art world. More importantly, it signals a huge step forward in recognizing and valuing female artists. This landmark auction is a reflection of a new era in art collecting. Kahlo’s painful yet transcendent story and bold self-imposed aesthetic continues to intrigue today’s collectors and art enthusiasts alike—she remains a rock star.