Wednesday 17 November 2021 12:39 pm

Frida Kahlo painting auctioned for record £25m

LONDON, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 21: Frida Kahlo’s ultimate self-portrait goes on view at Sotheby’s on October 21, 2021 in London, England. Estimated at over $30 million, it is expected to break the record for the artist and for any Latin American artist. This is a unique chance for British audiences to view a self-portrait by Kahlo, with none in UK institutions. The painting is on view to the public at Sotheby’s London from the 22 -25 October ahead of being auctioned at Sotheby’s New York on 16 November 2021. (Photo by Tristan Fewings/Getty Images for Sotheby’s)

A painting by Mexican artist Frida Kahlo has sold at Sotheby’s in New York for a record $34.9m (£25m), making it the highest price paid at auction for a Latin American piece of art.

Kahlo’s painting “Diego y Yo” was one of her final self-portraits and was described by Sotheby’s as “one of the most important works by Kahlo ever to come to auction”.

The buyer has been identified as Eduardo F. Cosantini, who founded a museum in Argentina, and the painting was last auctioned in 1990 for $1.4m, according to The New York Times.

A feminist symbol in the art world, her work is known for her painful relationship with her body. Kahlo was disabled through childhood polio and suffered severe injuries following a bus accident.