A vibrant Picasso portrait of his longtime muse and partner Dora Maar, unseen by the public for more than eight decades, sold for $57 million including fees at a Paris auction house on Friday. The remarkable sale price reflects the extraordinary rarity of the work, which had remained hidden in a private family collection since 1944.

The painting, titled "Bust of a Woman with a Flowered Hat (Dora Maar)," was created in July 1943 and depicts Maar wearing a brilliantly colored floral hat. The work emerged during a particularly turbulent period in Picasso's relationship with Maar, an accomplished artist and photographer in her own right, as their seven-year romantic partnership was drawing to a painful conclusion.

The artwork was purchased in 1944 and had never appeared on the art market since that time, remaining carefully preserved within the same family collection for generations. This extraordinary provenance contributed significantly to the painting's appeal and final sale price, as collectors and museums worldwide competed for the chance to acquire such a pristine example of Picasso's work from his most productive period.

The auction took place at the prestigious Drouot auction house in Paris, which described the reappearance of the work as "a moment of rare significance, revealing for the first time the full radiance of a work long kept secret." The painting is part of Picasso's celebrated "Woman in a Hat" series, making its emergence particularly significant for art historians and collectors who study the artist's evolving relationship with portraiture during the 1940s.

At a preview exhibition earlier this week, Picasso specialist Agnes Sevestre-Barbé expressed amazement at the painting's remarkable state of preservation. "We have a painting that is exactly as it was when it left the studio," she explained to gathered art experts and journalists. "It wasn't varnished, which means we have all its raw material, all of it. It's a painting where you can feel all the colors, the entire chromatic range."

Sevestre-Barbé emphasized the painting's emotional impact and technical brilliance, noting that "It's a painting that speaks for itself. You just have to look at it – it's full of expression, and you can see all of Picasso's genius." She revealed that previously, the work had only been documented in a single black-and-white photograph, making its colorful revelation all the more stunning for art experts.

"We couldn't imagine from this photo that this painting was so colorful, so amazing, really," Sevestre-Barbé continued, highlighting how the vibrant hues and intricate details had been completely lost in the monochrome documentation that existed before the work's public unveiling.

Auctioneer Christophe Lucien reported massive international interest in the piece leading up to the sale, with collectors and institutions from around the globe participating in the bidding process. "It's being talked about in all the world capitals with a strong art market, from the United States to Asia, and of course through all the major European markets," he said, underscoring the global significance of the work's emergence.

The painting captures a pivotal moment in both Picasso's artistic development and his personal life, created during World War II when the artist was grappling with both external political turmoil and internal emotional conflicts. Dora Maar, whose real name was Henriette Theodora Markovitch, served as both muse and creative partner to Picasso during some of his most innovative years, appearing in numerous works that are now considered masterpieces of 20th-century art.

The record-breaking sale demonstrates the continued strength of the market for exceptional Picasso works, particularly those with impeccable provenance and historical significance. The $57 million price tag places this work among the most valuable Picasso paintings ever sold at auction, reflecting both the artist's enduring appeal and the extreme rarity of previously unseen works of this caliber entering the market.