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Frida Kahlo’s “El Sueño” Breaks Auction Records at $54.7 Million

Source: Frida Kahlo’s “El Sueño” Sells for $54.7 Million, Setting New Auction Record (2025-11-25)

In a historic auction at Sotheby’s, Frida Kahlo’s masterpiece “El Sueño” (The Dream) sold for an astonishing $54.7 million, setting a new record for her work and for a female artist. This surrealist painting, which explores themes of life, death, and subconscious imagery, surpassed previous benchmarks, including Kahlo’s own record of $34.9 million and the $44.4 million paid for Georgia O’Keeffe’s “Jimson Weed / White Flower No. 1.” The sale took place during the “Exquisite Corpus” auction, which featured works from renowned Surrealists like Salvador Dalí and René Magritte, highlighting the painting’s significance within the Surrealist movement and Mexican art history. The auction’s success underscores Kahlo’s rising prominence in the art world, especially among collectors and institutions seeking to celebrate women artists’ contributions. Recent facts that deepen the context include: 1. “El Sueño” was created in 1940, during Kahlo’s most prolific period, reflecting her personal struggles and Mexican cultural identity. 2. The painting’s sale marks the highest price ever achieved for a Latin American artwork at auction. 3. Kahlo’s market value has surged by over 150% in the past five years, driven by increased global interest and scholarly recognition. 4. Major museums, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, have recently acquired Kahlo’s works, emphasizing her influence on contemporary art discourse. 5. The auction’s record-breaking sale is part of a broader trend where female artists’ works are achieving unprecedented prices, signaling a shift toward greater gender equity in art valuation. As Kahlo’s legacy continues to grow, her paintings are not only celebrated for their artistic innovation but also for their cultural and feminist significance. The record-setting sale of “El Sueño” exemplifies how her art resonates across generations, inspiring new audiences and collectors worldwide. This milestone underscores the importance of authentic, well-preserved artworks in the high-stakes art market and highlights the increasing recognition of Latin American artists on the global stage. With her influence extending beyond the art world into popular culture, Kahlo’s work remains a powerful symbol of resilience, identity, and surrealist brilliance, promising even more historic sales and scholarly interest in the years to come.

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