After thirty years in private hands, the painting Diego y yo (Diego and I), painted by Frida Kahlo in 1949, arrives on the auction market at Sotheby's New York on 16 November. The last appearance of the work on at auction was in 1990, during a sale also held at Sotheby's, where it sold for $1.4 million, setting not only the painter's then record, but also that of a Latin American artwork.
Diego y yo will be offered with an estimate of $30 million (£21.9 mil), more than triple Kahlo's current record (set in 2016 for Dos desnudos en el bosque (La tierra misma) at $8 million or £5.5 million). It could become, once again, the most expensive work of a Latin American artist at auction.
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Diego y yo is the last self-portrait signed by Kahlo in the 1940s and follows the tradition of the 'bust' portrait popularised during the European Renaissance. In the work, the artist uses the techniques and motifs of the typical Renaissance portrait, thus confirming the relationship between her work and that of canonical masters like Albrecht Dürer. It was during this decade that she painted the most refined 'bust' self-portraits of her career.
We can see the artist is wearing the traditional huipil, the blouse worn by the women of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, a matriarchal indigenous Mexican society. This particular huipil, red in colour, appears in many of her most recognisable self-portraits from this period. Her hair, usually braided or adorned with flowers, is loose here around her neck, while her reddened cheeks confirm the intensity of the emotion conveyed by her tears.
This emotional intensity is due to her husband Diego Rivera, who appears on her forehead with a third eye, symbolising the prominent place he held in her mind. The painting refers to Rivera's relationship with Mexican actress María Félix at the time, which was the subject of many rumours that left the artist deeply hurt.
Rivera's presence, however small the scale, makes the work a double portrait, a motif which the painter only explored twice during her career.
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“Frida Kahlo is a global icon of modern art whose work is beloved around the world," said Anna Di Stasi, Latin American Art Director at Sotheby's. "Diego y yo epitomizes the painstakingly detailed rendering, complex iconography, and deeply personal narratives that are hallmarks of her."
Most Kahlo's works are kept in institutions and their appearances at auction are extremely rare. "When I look at this painting, the phrase “abre los ojos,” Spanish for “open your eyes,” immediately comes to mind," said Julian Dawes, co-head of impressionist and modern art at Sotheby's in New York. "In the literal sense, it refers to the penetrating stare of Kahlo as the sitter of the portrait (and the double portrait of Rivera), but I think it also symbolizes the incredible moment this painting will surely usher in for Kahlo, as the market opens its eyes to Kahlo in a new way and secures her place in the auction echelon she belongs."
Diego y yo will be on display to the public 7-11 October in Hong Kong and 22-25 October in London before returning to New York for display ahead of the November sale.
