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 " for sale in Paris on October 24th. A representative of the auction house did not disclose the buyer, stating that the proceeds far exceeded the initial expectation of eight million euros. While not the most expensive Picasso painting ever sold, it is the highest-priced artwork in France this year.

The painting "Bust of a Woman in a Flowery Hat," measuring 80 cm x 60 cm, 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. Afterward, he only exhibited the work a few times outside his studio on Rue des Grands Augustins in Paris. In August 1944, a private French collector purchased the painting.

From then on, the portrait lay dormant in the family collection until the heirs decided to sell it. They requested anonymity. The work began to attract attention after media coverage of the auction in September. Before that, people only knew of the painting's existence through a black-and-white photograph taken of it before the sale, which appeared in an art catalog.

Speaking to AP, Picasso expert Agnès Sevestre-Barbé expressed her surprise at the painting's vibrancy. "We have a work that looks exactly the same as when it left the studio. The portrait hasn't even been painted with protective varnish. This means it has retained all its original materials, allowing viewers to appreciate all the colors and shades." She also stated that the work is of great historical and artistic importance, especially since the public hasn't been able to see it for over 80 years.

Pablo Picasso and Dora Maar. Photo: Man Ray

According to The Guardian , Picasso painted a portrait of photographer Dora Maar at a time when their relationship was nearing its end. 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 named Maya. They continued their relationship during the months he lived with Maar.

During their approximately nine years together, Dora Maar became Picasso's muse in many of his works, while also building her own career as a surrealist photographer. Her photographic style is believed to have influenced his painting style throughout their relationship. When painting Maar, he almost always depicted her as a suffering, tearful person, such as in the painting La Femme qui pleure ( The Weeping Woman , 1937).

Regarding "Bust of a Woman in a Flowery Hat," the Guardian noted that the subject appeared gentler and the colors more vibrant than in previous works. However, her face looked miserable. According to the news site, at that time Dora Maar knew that Picasso, then 61 years old, intended to leave her for a younger lover – the 21-year-old painter Françoise Gilot. 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 was among the most famous artists of the 20th century. Picasso gained renown with works such as *Les Demoiselles d'Avignon* and *Aunt Pepa* . Several of his paintings are on the list of the world's most expensive works of art, including *Nude on a Black Armchair*, *Les Noces de Pierrette*, and *Garçon à la Pipe*. Currently, the most expensive painting in his legacy is *Les Femmes d'Alger *, which was auctioned for $174.9 million in 2015.

On September 26th, Buste de femme – another painting of Dora Maar – was sold by Christie's Hong Kong for HK$196 million (approximately US$25.2 million), far exceeding the estimated price of HK$86 to HK$106 million.

Source: https://baohatinh.vn/buc-tranh-bi-lang-quen-cua-picasso-tri-gia-32-trieu-euro-post298144.html