Love and tragedy of Picasso: Vivid portrait of his muse sells for $37 million

A masterpiece by Pablo Picasso—a vivid portrait of his longtime muse and lover Dora Maar—sold at auction for a staggering €32 million (around $37 million), surpassing expert expectations, reports AP.

The painting, “Bust of a Woman with a Flowered Hat (Dora Maar),” created in July 1943, depicts Maar wearing a bright floral hat—a symbol of their tumultuous and complicated romance. The couple had been together for about seven years, and the portrait was made at the turning point in their relationship, as Picasso was preparing to leave Dora for the younger Françoise Gilot.

“This is a little piece of a love story—albeit a bitter one,” said auctioneer Christophe Lucien, adding that the sale was “very emotional.” The purchase became the highest-priced artwork sold at auction in France this year.

“You can literally see her restrained tears because she understood Picasso was leaving,” Lucien added.

Previously, the work had only been seen in black-and-white photographs, and few could have imagined just how vibrant the colors would appear. “This is a painting that speaks for itself—full of expression and the genius of Picasso,” said Picasso specialist Agnès Sevestre-Barbé.

Although the portrait sold above expectations, it is far from a record price for Picasso: in 2023, “Woman with a Watch,” depicting another muse, Marie-Thérèse Walter, sold for $139.4 million, while the all-time record was set by a version of “Women of Algiers,” sold in 2015 for $179.4 million.