Picasso painting not seen for 80 years to be auctioned in Paris

A famous work by the Spanish painter and sculptor Pablo Picasso, unseen by the public for over 80 years, will be put up for auction in Paris. This was reported by CNN.

The artwork, titled “Bust of a Woman with a Flowered Hat,” was created in 1943 in Paris, occupied by Nazi Germany. The piece is considered a portrait of Picasso’s muse and then-lover Dora Maar. The most recently discovered portrait of Maar was purchased by an unknown collector in 1944 and has remained in their family ever since.

According to art historian Agnès Sevestre-Barbe, this work is “a canvas of great historical and artistic significance,” and it has not been seen by the public for over 80 years, never exhibited in galleries, and never put up for auction.

The painting measures 81x60 cm, with Picasso’s signature in the upper left corner. This rare artwork will be auctioned in Paris on October 24. The starting price is 8 million euros, and experts expect the price to rise further during the auction.

Dora Maar (born Henriette Théodora Markovitch) was a French surrealist painter and photographer. She had a romantic relationship with Picasso. He created several portraits of her: “Portrait of Dora Maar,” “The Weeping Woman,” and “Dora Maar with Cat.” Maar herself stated that all of these portraits belong to Picasso, and none of them truly resemble her.

This auction is considered by art historians and collectors as a historically significant event and increases interest in Picasso’s unknown works.