A self-portrait by Mexican painter Frida Kahlo sold for $34.9 million at Sotheby’s on Tuesday, breaking a record for a Latin American artist.
The painting entitled “Diego y yo” was auctioned off during an evening sale in Manhattan and is believed to be the last self-portrait by Kahlo.
“Tonight’s outstanding result further secures her place in the auction echelon she belongs, as one of the true titans of 20th-century art,” said Sotheby’s rep Julian Dawes.
“Diego y yo” was created in 1949 and depicts the artist with tears streaming down her face and an image of painter and husband Diego Rivera on her forehead.
The portrait was created five years before Kahlo’s death and addresses her difficult relationship with Rivera.
The winning bid was placed by Eduardo F. Costantini, a real estate developer and founder of the Museum of Latin American Art of Buenos Aires.
The piece was previously purchased by an identified New York collector for $1.4 million in 1990.
The record price bested a painting titled “The Rivals” created by Rivera, which sold for $9.76 million in 2018.
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