Overview
- The 1940 painting arrives in New York after a pre-sale exhibition tour through London, Abu Dhabi, Hong Kong, and Paris, and the owner has not been disclosed.
- Mexican law designates Kahlo’s works in the country as artistic monuments that cannot be sold or destroyed, yet privately held pieces abroad can be sold at international auction.
- Art historians emphasize that the canopy skull is a Judas effigy from Easter traditions rather than a Day of the Dead figure.
- Specialists note Kahlo created the work after her Paris trip and contact with surrealists, though she did not consider herself part of the movement.
- The painting was last publicly shown in the 1990s, and experts warn that high-price acquisitions often limit public access to such works.