A vibrant and long-hidden portrait by Pablo Picasso, titled ‘Bust of a Woman with a Flowered Hat (Dora Maar)’, was auctioned in Paris for a staggering €27 million ($31.3 million) on Friday. Painted in July 1943, the artwork captures Dora Maar, Picasso’s muse and partner for nearly seven years, during a tumultuous period in their relationship. The painting, part of Picasso’s ‘Woman in a Hat’ series, had been privately held since its purchase in 1944 and had never before been publicly displayed. The auction took place at the prestigious Drouot auction house, which hailed the event as a moment of rare significance, unveiling the full brilliance of a masterpiece kept secret for over eight decades. Picasso specialist Agnes Sevestre-Barbé praised the portrait’s vividness, noting its raw, unvarnished state preserved the artist’s original chromatic range and expressive genius. Previously, the work was only known through a black-and-white photograph, leaving its vibrant colors a mystery. Auctioneer Christophe Lucien highlighted the global interest in the piece, with art markets from the United States to Asia and Europe eagerly anticipating its sale.
Picasso portrait of muse Dora Maar in vivid hat, long hidden from view, sells for 27 million euros
