Leonora Carrington Oil Painting Sells for More Than Twice the Asking Price in the Latin American Art Auction Hosted by Morton Subastas in Mexico City

In a tight bidding war involving two participants over the phone, Leonora Carrington's work of art was sold for $9,856,000 MXN.

Not only did this fantastic oil painting double the asking price, but it also exceeded the original estimate at which it was valued, between $4,200,000 MXN and $6,000,000 MXN.

Lot 46, Leonora Carrington, Le livre de chevet, Oil on canvas, 1956; Sold for $9,856,000 MXN

Now the new owner, whose identity will be kept private, will have the opportunity to decide whether the work of art will be lent on display to the “Leonora Carrington Tu País” exhibition, organized by the Mapfre Foundation to be presented at the ARKEN Museum of Modern Art in Copenhagen, Denmark.

This oil on canvas painting, dated 1956 and titled “Le livre de chevet” (“The Bedside Book”), depicts a woman reading in bed whilst illuminated by a firefly’s light hovering nearby. Under the bed, we can observe the presence of a mysterious and unsettling character.

“Le livre de chevet” was certified by the Leonora Carrington Foundation who, in turn, mentioned that they had no previous record of the existence of this piece. Thanks to the Latin American Art Auction hosted by Morton Subastas, it has since come to be known to the public. 

The auction took place at the Salón Candiles, Club Naval Norte in Mexico City in what is now considered to be the most important sale for the surrealist genre worldwide.