Frida Kahlo‘s “The Dream (The Bed)” Shatters Auction Record for a Female Artist, Selling for $47.35 Million
New York - Frida Kahlo’s 1940 self-portrait, “The Dream (The Bed),” achieved a landmark sale of $47.35 million at Sotheby’s in New York on Thursday evening, establishing a new auction record for a work by a female artist. The painting, described by Sotheby’s as one of Kahlo’s “most moving” and “impactful” works, exceeded pre-sale estimates of $40 to $60 million.
The sale marks a significant moment in the art world, surpassing the previous record held by Georgia O’Keeffe’s “Jimson weed/White Flower No.1,” which sold for $44 million in 2014. Kahlo already held the second-highest auction record for a female artist with “Diego y yo” (“Diego and Me”) selling for $34.9 million in 2021. This latest achievement underscores the growing recognition and value of Kahlo’s work within the global art market.
“The Dream (The Bed)” depicts Kahlo lying on a wooden bed covered with a golden blanket, embroidered with vines and leaves. Above her,a life-size skeleton wrapped in dynamite holds a bouquet of flowers. Painted during a period of declining health-marked by complications from polio and the lingering effects of a 1925 bus accident-the painting offers a poignant glimpse into Kahlo’s physical and emotional state. The 74 by 98 cm oil on canvas comes from a private collection in Mexico City.
The record-breaking sale places Kahlo’s work in a rarefied sphere, though still far behind the highest price ever paid for a painting at auction: Leonardo da Vinci’s “Salvator Mundi,” which sold for $450.3 million in 2017. The auction result highlights the enduring appeal and cultural importance of Kahlo’s intensely personal and symbolic art.