A previously unknown portrait by Pablo Picasso of his muse and lover Dora Maar was unveiled in Paris on Thursday, drawing international attention ahead of its auction. Titled Bust of a Woman with a Flowery Hat, the 1943 oil painting was inspired by Maar, a French photographer, painter, and poet who greatly influenced Picasso during the 1930s and 1940s. The work remained in private hands for over 80 years and has never been publicly exhibited. It is expected to sell for more than €8 million at the Drouot auction house.
A previously unknown portrait by Pablo Picasso of one his lovers was unveiled at a Paris auction house on Thursday after being put up for sale by its owners.
Entitled Bust of a woman with a flowery hat, it depicts Dora Maar, a French photographer, painter and poet who was Picasso's best-known muse.
Painted with oil, the colorful work measuring 80 x 60 centimeters (31 x 24 inches) "is valued at around eight million euros, a reserve price that could soar," according to auctioneer Christophe Lucien at Parisian auction house Drouot.
It was painted by Picasso on July 11, 1943, and acquired in August 1944 by a French collector who is the grandfather of the current owners.
Agnes Sevestre-Barbe, a Picasso specialist present during the unveiling of the work, said it was "unknown to the public and never exhibited, except in the Spanish master's studio in Paris" during the World War II.
The sellers are divesting the painting as part of an inheritance settlement, Lucien said.
With AFP
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