A self-portrait by renowned Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, depicting herself sleeping in a bed beneath a massive skeleton, is poised to become the most expensive painting ever sold by a female artist. The 1940 masterpiece titled "El Sueño" (The Dream, The Bedroom) carries an estimated value of $40 to $60 million and will go up for auction on November 20, according to prestigious auction house Sotheby's.
The painting was unveiled on Friday, November 8, at Sotheby's new flagship location in New York's Breuer Building, a modernist Manhattan structure that previously housed a museum and reopened to the public on Saturday. The artwork is being featured as part of Sotheby's Marquee Sales Series, highlighting its significance in the art world.
If the painting achieves its estimated sale price, it would surpass the current record held by American artist Georgia O'Keeffe, whose 1932 work sold for $44.4 million in 2014. Kahlo's current auction record stands at $34.4 million, achieved by another self-portrait from 1949 titled "Diego and Me," which sold in New York.
"This is a very personal image in which she merges folk motifs from Mexican culture with European Surrealism," explained Anna Di Stasi, Sotheby's specialist in South American art, in an interview. Di Stasi noted that while Kahlo "wasn't entirely in agreement" with having her work associated with the Surrealist movement, "given this magnificent iconography, it seems quite relevant to include it" in that artistic current.
The large skeleton depicted above the bed in the painting wasn't merely a figment of artistic imagination. According to Sotheby's, Frida Kahlo actually kept a papier-mâché skeleton object above her own bed, making the artwork a reflection of her real-life surroundings. This detail adds another layer of authenticity and personal significance to the already intimate self-portrait.
The Mexican artist, who died in 1954 at the age of 47, created this particular work during a period when she was grappling with her own mortality and physical ailments. The painting represents her unique ability to blend Mexican folk traditions with modernist artistic movements, creating a distinctive visual language that has captivated art lovers worldwide.
Friday's preview also featured several other works by top-tier artists scheduled for upcoming sales, including pieces by René Magritte and Gustav Klimt. Among the notable items was an iconic sculpture by provocative Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan titled "America" – a solid gold toilet. The starting price for this unconventional artwork will depend on the gold market price at the time of the auction.
The potential record-breaking sale reflects the growing recognition and market value of works by female artists, as well as Kahlo's enduring influence on contemporary art and culture. Her deeply personal and often painful artistic expressions continue to resonate with audiences nearly seven decades after her death, cementing her status as one of the most important artists of the 20th century.
