A rare Pablo Picasso painting that had remained hidden from public view for 80 years sold for an astonishing €37 million (approximately $40 million including fees) at a Paris auction on October 24, 2025, fetching nearly four times its pre-sale estimate. The 1943 work titled "Bust of a Woman with a Flowered Hat (Dora Maar)" was sold to a buyer present in the auction room at Lucien Paris auction house, marking the highest price paid for any artwork at auction in France this year.
The painting depicts Dora Maar, the French photographer and artist who maintained a seven-year relationship with Picasso and served as the subject for numerous works by the Spanish master. This particular portrait was one of many Picasso created of Maar during their tumultuous romance, which lasted from 1936 to 1943. The artwork was displayed publicly for the first time in eight decades at the Hôtel Drouot auction house in Paris, where it was exhibited for three days before the sale.
Auctioneer Christophe Lucien told the Associated Press that the final sale price significantly exceeded the pre-sale estimate of €9.5 million, though it remains far below Picasso's auction record of $179.4 million for "Les Femmes d'Alger (Version O)" from 1955, which was set at Christie's New York in 2015. The painting's provenance traces back to 1944, just one year after Picasso completed it, when it was purchased by a private collector. Since then, it has remained within the same family for over 80 years, with the current seller having inherited the work from a grandparent.
Before its recent public unveiling, the painting had been exhibited only a few times and was known primarily through a handful of black-and-white photographs taken by the renowned photographer Brassaï, which were subsequently reproduced in Picasso's official catalogue raisonné. This limited exposure contributed to the work's mystique and rarity in the art market, factors that likely influenced its extraordinary final sale price.
The emotional context surrounding the painting adds another layer to its significance. Lucien noted during the preview that the work was completed toward the end of Picasso and Maar's relationship, observing, "You see that she was containing tears because she understood that Picasso was leaving her." This interpretation aligns with Maar's role as the subject of Picasso's famous "Weeping Woman" series, which similarly captured emotional turmoil and distress.
While Maar has been historically identified primarily as Picasso's mistress, lover, and muse for decades, recent scholarship and exhibitions have increasingly recognized her as a significant artist in her own right. Her own photographic and artistic work has gained wider recognition and appreciation in contemporary art circles, moving beyond her association with the famous Spanish painter to establish her independent artistic legacy.
The successful sale represents a significant moment in the 2025 art auction calendar and demonstrates the continued strong market demand for major works by Picasso, particularly those with compelling provenance and emotional resonance. The painting's emergence after 80 years in private hands and its subsequent record-breaking sale price underscore the ongoing fascination with both Picasso's artistic output and his complex personal relationships that often served as inspiration for his most powerful works.
