The offering of **El sueño (La cama)**, the rare self-portrait by Frida Kahlo that Sotheby’s has now brought to market with an estimate of \$40–60 million, is not just another high-ticket lot: it represents the convergence of scarcity, symbolism, and institutional context that explains why collectors and museums pay premiums for works that, for decades, almost never leave private circles. The auction is scheduled for November 8 in New York, following an international preview tour — standard maneuvers designed to build competition among buyers and justify such an ambitious valuation. Painted in 1940, the canvas shows Kahlo reclining on a floating four-poster bed, topped by a skeletal figure holding a bouquet — a recurring symbol in her language of pain, mortality, and the theatrics of selfhood. The work is generally catalogued as *The Dream (The Bed)*, oil on canvas, measuring around 74 x 98.5 cm, and comes from a notable private collection: the Erteguns (Nesuhi and Selma), whose holdings of surrealism were once publicly exhibited. Provenance of this kind matters: works with documented ownership history and exhibition records carry an added layer of cultural and financial weight, which strengthens their market trajectory. Intellectually and historically, the painting is a pivotal piece in Kahlo’s narrative. It was conceived at a time when her physical suffering, repeated surgeries, and turbulent relationship with Diego Rivera were materializing with force in intimate, ironic images. The presence of “Juda” (the papier-mâché skeleton that actually hung in her bedroom) turns the scene into a personal allegory rather than mere decoration. According to specialists cited by Sotheby’s, the piece has been absent from public circulation for decades and is not part of a Mexican museum collection — a condition that makes each appearance at auction an exceptional event. On the market side, this sale brings two intersecting narratives: the pursuit of a price record and the reality of restricted supply. Should the painting reach the upper estimate, Kahlo would surpass the auction record for a woman artist — currently Georgia O’Keeffe’s *Jimson Weed* at \$44.4 million — while extending her own trajectory of rising valuations (her personal record stands at \$34.9 million for *Diego y yo* in 2021). At the same time, scarcity is real: part of the explanation for such lofty estimates lies in Mexico’s cultural heritage law, which since the 1980s has classified Kahlo’s works as “artistic monuments,” restricting export and making her paintings extremely rare outside the country. The knot of limited supply and growing global demand is what sustains numbers that otherwise might seem speculative. But uncertainty remains. Public statements from the auction house have not confirmed any guarantee for this lot — a financial instrument that usually secures a price floor and protects the seller. The absence of such backing means the painting must attract genuine, competitive bidding, adding volatility and exposing the outcome to broader economic conditions and institutional appetite. This comes in a year when the top end of the art market has shown signs of contraction, while lower and mid-tier segments have been more resilient. That climate injects both risk and intrigue into the possibility of setting a new benchmark. Beyond the price tag, what is really at stake is a cultural debate: to what extent astronomical figures correct centuries of undervaluation of women artists; to what extent they transform deeply personal works into prestige assets; and how to reconcile public desire for access — as major exhibitions at the MFAH and Tate planned for 2026 underscore rising interest — with heritage laws and the private market. Should the hammer fall within or above the estimate, it will not only reset the numbers but also reignite discussions about cultural policy, gender inequality in the art market, and the balance between private collecting and public memory. For your readers, this auction is rare material: a moment where aesthetics, biography, and finance converge, demanding reflection on value, stewardship, and legacy.