A portrait by Pablo Picasso of his muse and partner Dora Maar sold at auction in Paris for €32 million (around US$37 million) on Friday.
The painting, which was a part of Picasso’s “Woman in a Hat” series, sold at the Drouot auction house.
Approximately eighteen buyers vied for the painting.
‘Bust of a Woman with a Flowered Hat’
The portrait, called “Bust of a Woman with a Flower Hat,” was painted in July 1942, and shows Dora Maar, Picasso’s muse, wearing a vibrant flowery hat.
An anonymous collector purchased the portrait of Maar in 1944, and it has remained in his family ever since.
According to Picasso specialist Agnes Sevestre-Barbe, the photo has never been exhibited and the only evidence of its existence was a 1944 black-and-white photo of the work.
“We couldn’t imagine from this photo that this painting was so colorful, so amazing, really.”
“We have a painting that is exactly as it was when it left the studio. It wasn’t varnished, which means we have all its raw material, all of it.”
“It’s a painting where you can feel all the colors, the entire chromatic range,” Sevestre-Barbe stated.
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The most paid for a piece of art in France this year
According to auctioneer Christophe Lucien, the price exceeded initial estimates and is the highest amount paid for a piece of art in France this year.
He stated that the price came up to €32,012,397 (more than US$37 million) after buyer fees were added to the €27-million hammer price.
“It’s without a doubt the most moving work of Picasso that involved his muse, because he was about to leave her (Dora Maar) for (French painter) Francoise Gilot,” Lucien added.
“And through this portrait, we see a woman who holds back her tears. So it’s lucky for an auctioneer to have a piece of art history before their own eyes.”
Who is Dora Maar?
For over seven years, Maar, a French photographer and surrealist artist, served as Picasso’s collaborator and muse for his paintings.
Their relationship started in 1936 and Picasso painted Maar multiple times during their time together.
Maar was his muse in “Dora Maar Seated” (1937), “Weeping Woman” (1937), “Weeping Woman in a Red Hat” (1937), “Woman Seated in a Garden” (1938), and “Dora Maar in an Armchair” (1939).
Maar also painted Picasso. In 1939, she created “Portrait of Pablo Picasso in a Black Hat,” which showed Picasso in the cubist style the latter was known for.
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