On June 24, a person was arrested in Morelos, Mexico, after carrying out a purchase and sale operation of a residence worth 20 million pesos in Acapulco in exchange for the work “La Mesa Herida” by Frida Kahlo.
“La Mesa Herida” or “The Wounded Table” by Frida Kahlo is an oil on canvas measuring 1.2 meters high by 2.4 meters wide (Kahlo's longest work) and is described as a self-portrait in which the artist appears on a stage, sitting in the center of a table stained with blood and on whose legs you can see feet tied to it; Frida is accompanied by paper mache characters: one simulating a large man with wounds mainly on his back, feet and head that surrounds her with her left arm; There is also a simulation of a pre-Hispanic statue whose right arm merges with that of the painter; There is also a baby deer and on the left side there are two small children standing.
In 1955, after Kahlo's death, Diego Rivera requested the work to be exhibited in Warsaw, the capital of Poland, where an exhibition of the artist was held. That was the last time the work was seen and currently the work is valued at 20 million dollars.
In 1984, a decree was created in which it was declared that all of Frida Kahlo's works are cultural heritage of Mexico, so any action involving them must be notified to the National Institute of Fine Arts and Literature (INBAL). That is why, when the person involved tried to validate the sales documents, the authorities notified INBAL about this transaction and it was determined that it was a missing painting by the artist; Frida Kahlo's most sought after work.
The detained subject requested the certification of the documents for London, England, so it is unknown if the work is in Mexico or abroad. It is currently at the disposal of the State Attorney General's Office (FGE) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of the United States and the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) have been notified to begin the corresponding investigations.
Sources: El Sol de México, Radiofórmula, Unotv
