One of Frida Kahlo's Self-Portraits Sold for $34.9 Million
The portrait was the most valuable piece of art sold by a Latin American artist.
Frida Kahlo's face is one of the most famous in the world. You can't go very far without seeing her likeness on a postcard, a keychain, or some other kitschy art piece. But no one was better at capturing her image than Frida Kahlo herself. On November 16, Kahlo's portrait "Diego y yo" painted in 1949, sold at a Sotheby's auction for $34.9 million.
According to NBC News, the sale made history, as it is the most amount of money ever paid for Latin American art. The painting was sold to the Eduardo F. Costantini Collection. Constantini, a real estate developer, is a champion of Latin American art. He founded the Museum of Latin American Art in Buenos Aires, better known as MALBA.
"Diego y yo" last sold for $1.4 million in 1990. Diego Rivera, Kahlo's husband and famed Mexican artist, previously held the position of the Latin American artist with the highest selling piece of work. His painting "The Rivals" sold at an auction for $9.8 million in 2018.
"Tonight's outstanding result further secures her place in the auction echelon she belongs, as one of the true titans of 20th-century art," Julian Dawes, Sotheby's senior vice president and co-head of impressionist and modern art, said in a statement.
You can learn more about the painting and its history on Sotheby's website.
Opheli Garcia Lawler is a staff writer at Thrillist. Follow her on Twitter @opheligarcia and Instagram @opheligarcia.