A Paris auction house has unveiled a newly discovered work by Pablo Picasso, “Half-length of a Woman with a Flowered Hat (Dora Maar),” created during the German occupation and not exhibited for nearly eight decades. The painting was completed in July 1943, after Picasso and Dora Maar’s heated and controversial relationship. The painting depicts Maar in softer, more colorful tones, in contrast to the anguished portraits in which Picasso often depicted her, reflecting both the pain of the Spanish Civil War and their heated personal disputes.
The work was last sold in 1944, a few months before the liberation of Paris, and until now has been in the private collection of an anonymous Frenchman. Its existence was known only from a black-and-white photograph, but now, the public can see the real color version for the first time. Christophe Lucien, head of the auction house, described the painting as “a great discovery, not only an important page in the history of art, but also a key to Picasso’s personal life.” He said it was “a luminous work created in difficult times, full of emotion and exceptional power.”
The painting will be on display for three days, until October 24, when it goes up for auction. The preliminary price is around 8 million euros, but the final price is expected to be much higher.
