The surrealist self-portrait Sleep (The bed) A painting by Mexican artist Frida Kahlo has become the most expensive work of art ever painted by a woman, selling for $54.7 million (€47.4 million) at Sotheby's in New York. It surpassed the previous record held by American artist Georgia O'Keeffe. Jimson weed / White flower No. 1 in 2014 for 38.5 million euros. The third painter on the podium is Kahlo herself: the painting Diego and I It sold in 2021 for $30 million. The most expensive living female painter at auction is South African Marlene Dumas.