A unique, outspoken character, she apparently knew everyone of note in Latin America and Europe, from writers to royalty, counting Salvador Dalì and Frida Kahlo as friends, and Frida's husband Diego Rivera, who painted her three times, as a lover.
When it came to her artistic tastes, no eccentricity was too great and it showed in the 606-lot sale of her belongings at Christie's New York (20/12% buyer's premium) on July 17-18, the star of which was Sueno de Sirenas, or Mermaid Dream, the triptych, pictured here, that she commissioned from Leonora Carrington (English b.1917) in 1963, depicting her as three mermaids.
Felix met Carrington the year before on the insistence of her friend Renato Leduc, a journalist, diplomat and friend of Picasso's who married Carrington to rescue her from war-torn Europe. Felix had resisted meeting the artist, saying she already knew too many people, but they became fast friends.
At some point Felix decided that surrealist painters understood her psyche best, particularly the women, and she quickly made her wishes for a portrait known to Carrington.
According to Salomon Grimberg, a former friend of Felix's, she liked to tell people that the idea for a triptych came to her in a dream in which she was a siren, transformed from fire to mother-of-pearl to charcoal, beckoning men to their drowning end.
Carrington used a photograph and live sittings to paint Maria's face and her imagination for the rest, including the fantastic faces on the outer folding doors. She then designed the frame, which was carved out of wood by José Horna, a member of their artistic circle. Felix, who loved gold decoration, then decided to add gold leaf to the top and bottom of the frame.
Christie's specialist Virgilio Garza said the triptych never left the living room wall of Felix's Mexico home, so it was in very good condition. A reliable source also told him that Felix was very attached to the work. In his catalogue introduction, Mr Grimberg even states: "In one conversation, Maria said that when she was in a funk, and felt like talking to no one, she would close the doors of the triptych and that spoke for her."
In 1992 the movie star wrote in a catalogue for an exhibition of her many portraits: "I believe I can consider the fact that having had portraits made of myself is manifesting a form of certain narcissism, but I cannot help it. I like my face very much, my body, my whole figure…"
Many others, obviously Mexican but also American and European, like it as well. The triptych surpassed its $450,000 top estimate to fetch $530,000 (£273,200) from the European trade, an auction record for the artist and the highest price in the sale by a significant margin.
Like many celebrity sales, this was almost a white-glove event, selling 99 per cent by value and by volume to total $6.1m, with only three lots failing to find buyers.
By Stephanie Harris
