PIC: South African artist makes history selling most expensive painting sold by a living woman

CapeTalk's John Maytham speaks to art commentator and curator Sean O’Toole.

Listen below:

South African painter Marlene Dumas (71) has made history, claiming the title of the most expensive painting sold by a living woman artist at an auction.

Dumas' 1997 work of art titled Miss January sold for around R230 million ($13.6 million) during a Christie’s auction in New York recently, reports say.

The striking portrait, depicting a semi-nude woman gazing directly at the viewer, was snapped up by an anonymous bidder.

The record-fetching painting was inspired by a magazine centrefold image.

Dumas was born in Cape Town, grew up in Kuils River, and has lived in Amsterdam since the 1970s.

The artist is celebrated globally for her emotionally charged, gestural paintings that explore themes such as identity, gender, and the human condition.

"It's the second time that Marlene Dumas has been the most expensive living artist... she had a record around 2006 in which she got the dubious honour of the world's most expensive living female artist."

- Sean O’Toole, art commentator and curator

"What do you do with the title of the world's most expensive living female artist?"

- Sean O’Toole, art commentator and curator

"I suppose the good news story is that over time, more women artists and artists of colour are now making it into the elite club of over 10 million dollars..."

- Sean O’Toole, art commentator and curator

Scroll up to the audio player to listen to the full conversation.