On October 24, a colorful portrait of Pablo Picasso's lover and long-time poetess Dora Maar, which has been hidden for more than 8 decades, was auctioned for 32 million euros ($37 million).
Completed in July 4, the painting is called Bust of a Woman with a Flowered Hat (Dora Maar), depicting Mrs. Dora Maar with a colorful flower hat.
Ms. Maar - an artist and photographer - was the lover and inspiration of painter Picasso for about 7 years.
The work was bought in 1944 and has never been on the market since then, and is still in the family collection. The painting belongs to the "Hat-Women" series by UNESCO, sold at the Drouot auction house in Paris.
The auction operator, Mr. Christophe Lucien, called this "a resounding success" and "an emotional moment", and said the exact price was 32,012,397 euros, much higher than expected and also the highest price for a work of art auctioned in France this year.
Mr. Lucien described the painting as a little piece in a love story between famous artist Picasso and Ms. Maar.
When meeting Mr. Picasso, Mrs. Maar was only 29 years old and quickly became a poet and model for many famous works, including Guernica. After that, artist Picasso left her to join Mrs. Francoise Gilot.
Mrs. Dora Maar passed away at the age of 89.
It was not a simple love affair, Lucien said, stressing that this picture was born at its final stage. We can see in her her eyes trying to hold back her tears, because she understood that Picasso was about to leave her.
Mr. Lucien said that before the auction, the work had attracted strong attention from all over the world. Its been mentioned in all the major art centers from the US to Asia, and of course the major markets in Europe.
At the pre-auction exhibition, expert and landscape artist Picasso, Mr. Agnes Sevestre-Barbe, expressed his surprise that the painting still retains its vivid color.
We have a painting that is exactly like when it left the painting studio, said Sevestre-Barbe. "The work is not covered with vecni, so all materials and colors are still intact. It is a painting that you can feel fully covered with color and vitality.
This is a work that I know how to speak for myself. Just look at it and you will see all the natural talent of Picasso" - Ms. Sevestre-Barbe added.
