Frida Kahlo’s self-portrait sells for $38.4 mn; breaches all records

Frida Kahlo’s painting Diego y yo or Diego and I went for a whopping $38.4 million at the Sotheby’s in New York. Kahlo completed this self-portrait before her death in 1954 and depicted her tumultuous marriage to the Mexican artist, Diego Rivera. The painting, which was offered as a star lot in the Modern Evening Sale in New York, carried a presale estimate of more than $30 million and was guaranteed by a third party, meaning the auction house lined up a buyer willing to pay a minimum amount before the painting went up for sale.

Argentinian real estate developer Eduardo F Constantini purchased this painting. Constantini founded the Latin American Art Museum of Buenos Aires in 2001. The painting is for his private collection and not the museum, as per Sotheby’s. Art historians argue this painting captures Frida’s angst over Riviera’s affair with the film star Maria Felix due to which he almost divorced Kahlo.

“Frida Kahlo is a global icon of modern art whose work is beloved around the world. Diego y yo, epitomizes the painstakingly detailed rendering, complex iconography, and deeply personal narratives that are hallmarks of her mature painting,” Sotheby’s mentioned on its site.

Diego y yo has been out of the public eye and last came to auction in 1990 when it sold for $1.43 million at Sotheby’s in New York. Kahlo is one of the most famous and least prolific artists globally. She made only 140 paintings in her life.

Also read: Mackelowe Collection brings in $676.1 mn at Sotheby’s auction in New York