November 16, 2021
$34.9 Million for Frida: A Latin American Record
Frida Kahlo's tearful self-portrait 'Diego y yo' sold for $34.9 million in 2021 — the highest price ever for a Latin American artwork at auction.
In one of her final self-portraits, Frida Kahlo painted herself crying, with the face of her husband Diego Rivera burning in her forehead. In November 2021, 'Diego y yo' (1949) sold at Sotheby's New York for $34.9 million.
The price shattered Kahlo's previous record fourfold and set a benchmark for any Latin American artist — overtaking Rivera himself. When the painting last sold, in 1990, it fetched $1.4 million.
It was bought by Eduardo Costantini, founder of Buenos Aires's MALBA museum. More than a market milestone, it confirmed Kahlo's place as a global icon of love, pain and unflinching self-portrayal.
Image: “Memorial - Leon Trotsky House Museum - Coyoacan - Mexico City - Mexico” — This picture has been taken by Oleg Yunakov. Contact e-mail: yunakovgmail.com. Image can be used in accordance with the terms of the СС-BY-SA license. Other photos can be seen here., CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.