A surrealist painting by the iconic Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, titled *El sueño (La cama)*, has achieved a historic milestone in the art world, selling for $54.7 million (£41.8 million) at auction. This staggering sum not only sets a new record for the highest price paid for a work by a female artist but also surpasses the previous record for a Kahlo portrait, which stood at $34.9 million in 2021. The painting, created in the 1940s, depicts Kahlo asleep in a canopy bed beneath a skeleton entwined with dynamite, reflecting her deeply personal and psychologically charged artistic style. The artwork was sold after an intense bidding war between two collectors at Sotheby’s, marking a monumental moment in the recognition of women artists in the global art market. Anna Di Stasi, Sotheby’s head of Latin American art, emphasized the significance of this sale, stating, ‘This record-breaking result shows just how far we have come in appreciating Frida Kahlo’s genius and in recognizing women artists at the highest level of the market.’ *El sueño (La cama)* was initially auctioned in 1980 for $51,000, making its recent sale price over 1,000 times its original value. Kahlo, who passed away in 1954, is celebrated for her evocative self-portraits that often explore themes of pain, identity, and resilience. Her life and work continue to captivate audiences, as evidenced by the 2002 biographical film starring Salma Hayek. The painting’s sale also highlights the rarity of Kahlo’s works in the public market, as most of her pieces were declared artistic monuments by Mexican authorities in the 1980s, restricting their export.