UPDATE: Frida Kahlo’s iconic painting “El sueño (La cama)” is stirring excitement as it heads to auction with an estimated price tag of $40 million to $60 million. This sale, set for November 20, 2023, at Sotheby’s in New York, could make it the most expensive artwork ever sold by a female or Latin American artist.
Art historians are buzzing with anticipation as the auction approaches. “This is a moment of a lot of speculation,” stated Mexican art historian Helena Chávez Mac Gregor, a researcher at UNAM’s Institute of Aesthetic Research. The painting has been exhibited worldwide, including stops in London, Abu Dhabi, Hong Kong, and Paris, amplifying its global appeal.
The auction comes with significant implications. Kahlo’s works are protected under Mexican law, preventing the sale or destruction of pieces within the country. However, this painting, owned by an undisclosed private collector, is eligible for international sale. “The system of declaring Mexican modern artistic heritage is very anomalous,” remarked curator Cuauhtémoc Medina, emphasizing the unique challenges faced by Mexican art.
Created in 1940, “El sueño (La cama)” reflects Kahlo’s complex life, marked by illness and pain. The painting features a skull symbolizing purification and the triumph of good over evil, not a traditional Day of the Dead skeleton, as many believe. “Kahlo spent a lot of time in bed waiting for death,” said Chávez Mac Gregor, revealing the emotional depth behind the artwork.
While Kahlo’s painting will share the auction stage with surrealist luminaries such as Salvador Dalí and René Magritte, she never identified with the surrealist movement. Despite her connections with its founder, André Breton, Kahlo viewed surrealism as bourgeois. Yet, elements of surrealism permeate her work, capturing a dreamlike quality and themes of inner freedom.
The upcoming auction raises concerns about the future of art as an investment. Medina lamented the trend of exorbitantly priced art being sequestered in tax-free zones, potentially never to be seen again. “They may end up in a refrigerator at Frankfurt airport for decades,” he warned.
Kahlo’s auction not only has the potential to shatter records but also highlights the ongoing disparity in the art world. Currently, the record for any female artist is held by Georgia O’Keeffe, whose work sold for $44.4 million in 2014, while the highest sale for a male artist is a staggering $450.3 million for Leonardo da Vinci’s “Salvator Mundi” in 2017.
As the auction date approaches, all eyes will be on Sotheby’s, where Kahlo’s “El sueño (La cama)” could redefine the value of female artistry in the global market. The stakes are high, and the art world is watching closely. Will this painting disappear from public view again after the auction, as many high-value pieces do? Only time will tell.
The excitement surrounding this auction underscores not just the monetary value of art but its cultural and emotional significance, making it a pivotal moment in the art world. Share this story to keep everyone updated on the latest developments regarding this historic auction!
