Frida Kahlo’s $60 Million Auction Set to Break Records on Nov. 20

UPDATE: Frida Kahlo’s iconic painting “El sueño (La cama)” is set to make headlines as it approaches auction at Sotheby’s, potentially fetching between $40 million to $60 million. This sale, scheduled for November 20 in New York, could position it as the most expensive artwork ever sold by a female or Latin American artist, stirring excitement among art historians and collectors alike.

The painting, currently creating a buzz, was last exhibited in the 1990s and is known for its rich symbolic content. According to renowned Mexican art historian Helena Chávez Mac Gregor, who is affiliated with the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), this auction represents a significant moment in art history. “This is a moment of a lot of speculation,” she stated, highlighting the intrigue surrounding the piece.

Kahlo’s “El sueño (La cama)” was created in 1940 after her time in Paris, where she engaged with surrealist artists. The painting features a striking imagery of a canopy bed adorned with a skull that is not a traditional Day of the Dead skeleton but rather a cardboard Judas figure, symbolizing deeper themes of life and death. “Frida spent a lot of time in bed waiting for death,” noted Chávez Mac Gregor, reflecting on the artist’s tumultuous life marked by illness and hardship.

The painting’s owner remains undisclosed, yet it is legally eligible for sale internationally due to its private collection status. This auction follows a series of global exhibitions in London, Abu Dhabi, Hong Kong, and Paris, showcasing Kahlo’s enduring legacy.

Art curator and historian Cuauhtémoc Medina criticized the current art market, lamenting how exorbitant prices have transformed art into mere economic assets. He expressed concern that high-value acquisitions often lead to artworks being hidden away, saying, “They may end up in a refrigerator at Frankfurt airport for decades to come.” This statement underscores the ongoing debate about the commodification of art and its accessibility to the public.

If sold for its anticipated price, “El sueño (La cama)” would surpass the current record for a female artist held by Georgia O’Keeffe’s “Jimson Weed/White Flower No. 1,” which sold for $44.4 million in 2014. The auction landscape still reflects disparities, as no female artist has yet topped the auction prices achieved by their male counterparts, with the highest being $450.3 million for Leonardo da Vinci‘s “Salvator Mundi” in 2017.

As the art world eagerly anticipates this auction, the fate of “El sueño (La cama)” remains uncertain. Should it disappear from public view post-sale, it would join the ranks of many masterpieces bought for staggering sums, raising questions about the future of art accessibility.

The countdown to November 20 has begun, and the art community is abuzz with speculation, excitement, and concern over what this auction signifies for female artists and the broader art market. Stay tuned for updates as this story develops.