Forgotten Picasso painting sells for 32 million euros

Picasso's painting of his lover Dora Maar was sold for 32 million euros (37 million USD, nearly 978 billion VND) after more than 80 years of not appearing in public.

According to AP , the Drouot auction house offered Picasso's Bust of a Woman in a Flowery Hat in Paris on October 24. The organizers did not disclose the buyer, but said the sale far exceeded initial expectations of eight million euros. Although not the most expensive Picasso painting, it is the most expensive artwork sold in France this year.

The work "Bust of a Woman in a Flowery Hat" measures 80 cm x 60 cm, and is part of Picasso's "Woman in a Hat" series. Photo: Reuters

Picasso completed the painting in July 1943 during the Nazi occupation of Paris. He exhibited it only a few times outside his studio on the Rue des Grands Augustins in Paris. In August 1944, a private French collector bought the painting.

The portrait remained in the family collection until the heirs, who asked not to be identified, decided to sell it. The work first attracted attention after media reports of the auction in September. Before that, the only known knowledge of its existence was a black-and-white photograph taken before the sale, which appeared in an art catalog.

Speaking to the AP, Picasso expert Agnès Sevestre-Barbé said she was surprised by the painting's vibrancy. "We have the work exactly as it left the studio. The portrait has not been painted with protective varnish. This means that it has retained all the original materials, allowing viewers to perceive all the colors and ranges of tones." She also said the work is of great historical and artistic importance, especially since the public has not been able to admire it for more than 80 years.

Pablo Picasso and Dora Maar. Photo: Man Ray

According to the Guardian , Picasso painted the portrait of photographer Dora Maar at the end of their relationship. They met in late 1935 when she was 28 and he was 54. At the time, the artist was in a relationship with Marie-Thérèse Walter, with whom he had a daughter, Maya. The two continued to see each other during his time with Maar.

During their nine years together, Dora Maar became Picasso's muse for many of his works, while also establishing her own career as a surrealist photographer. Her photographic style is said to have influenced his painting style during their relationship. When he painted Maar, he almost always portrayed her as a sorrowful, tearful person, such as in La Femme qui pleure ( The Weeping Woman , 1937).

With Bust of a Woman in a Flowery Hat, the Guardian commented that the subject had a softer appearance and more vibrant colors than previous works. However, her face looked miserable. According to the news site, Dora Maar knew at that time that Picasso, then 61, intended to leave her for his younger lover, the painter Françoise Gilot, 21. After he left, Dora Maar became increasingly withdrawn until her death at the age of 89.

Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) was a Spanish painter and sculptor. He is one of the most famous artists of the 20th century. Picasso is famous for works such as Les Demoiselles d'Avignon, Portrait of Aunt Pepa . Some of his paintings are on the list of the most expensive works of art in the world, including Nude on a Black Armchair, Les Noces de Pierrette, Garçon à la Pipe. Currently, the most expensive painting in his legacy is Les Femmes d'Alger , which went under the hammer for 174.9 million USD in 2015.

On September 26, Buste de femme - another painting of Dora Maar - was sold by Christie's Hong Kong for 196 million HKD (about 25.2 million USD), far exceeding the estimate of 86 to 106 million HKD.

Source: https://baohatinh.vn/picasso-pictures-of-a-queen-picture-of-32-million-euro-post298144.html