Johannesburg- Mexican painter, Frida Kahlo’s artwork broke records after it was auctioned for $34,9m (about R540 017 821).
Kahlo, was a Mexican painter, known for many of her portraits.
Most of her work was inspired by nature and Mexican artifacts. Kahlo was born in 1907 and died at the age of 47, in 1954.
Her self portrait sold for a whopping $34,9m at Sotheby’s on Tuesday night setting a benchmark of being the most expensive artwork by a Latin American.
The oil painting was done 5 years before the artist’s death in 1954, titled “Diego and I”.
It was one of Kahlo’s final self-portraits.
The painting illustrates her turbulent marriage with the Mexican muralist Diego Rivera, who is depicted in it just above the artist’s tearful eyes.
Kahlo’s portrait surpassed a benchmark set by Rivera in 2018 where one of his paintings sold for $9.76m.
#AuctionUpdate: Frida Kahlo’s 'Diego y yo (Diego and I)' was acquired by the Eduardo F. Costantini Collection, a renowned collector with a longstanding commitment to supporting Latin American art and artists, and founder of Malba, Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires. pic.twitter.com/Us3sZNZZhN
— Sotheby's (@Sothebys) November 17, 2021
The Diego and I painting was taken by Anna Di Stasi, Sotheby’s director of Latin American art.
#AuctionUpdate: Frida Kahlo’s 1949 self-portrait ‘Diego y yo (Diego and I)’ soars to $34.9M, smashing the artist’s previous $8 million public auction record. This enigmatic work is Kahlo’s final ‘bust’ self-portrait completed before her death in 1954. pic.twitter.com/NVJZ3c8FOV
— Sotheby's (@Sothebys) November 17, 2021
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