Unseen Picasso portrait of Dora Maar heads to auction in Paris

A previously unknown Pablo Picasso portrait of his muse Dora Maar, titled “Bust of a Woman with a Flowery Hat,” was unveiled at Paris’s Hotel Drouot auction house after remaining hidden in a private French collection for 80 years.

The colorful oil painting, measuring 80 x 60 centimeters, was created on July 11, 1943 during the German occupation of Paris and depicts Maar with a melancholy but harmonious expression, painted near the end of their tumultuous nine-year relationship.

The work carries an estimated value of around €8 million ($9.5 million) and will go to auction on October 24, with experts calling it “a milestone in the history of art” and noting it was previously known only through a 1944 black-and-white photograph in Picasso’s studio.

Dora Maar, a French photographer, painter and poet who was Picasso’s companion from 1936, was an accomplished Surrealist artist who documented the creation of his masterpiece “Guernica” and taught him photography techniques.

The discovery comes as the Picasso market has struggled, with sales totaling $223 million in 2024 compared to $597 million in 2023, though masterpiece-quality works continue to command substantial prices when they appear at auction.

An 80-year-old mystery returned to the spotlight Thursday as auction house Drouot in Paris unveiled a previously unknown Pablo Picasso portrait of his muse Dora Maar, setting the stage for what could become one of the year’s most significant art sales.

The oil painting, titled “Bust of a Woman with a Flowery Hat,” measures 80 by 60 centimeters and depicts Maar in vibrant colors—a departure from Picasso’s more famous tortured portrayals of his lover. Created on July 11, 1943, during the German occupation of Paris, the work has remained hidden in a French family’s private collection since its purchase in August 1944.lemonde

A Painting Emerges from History

According to auctioneer Christophe Lucien, the portrait carries an estimated value of around €8 million, though competitive bidding could drive the final price significantly higher when it goes to auction on October 24. The current owners, who inherited the piece from their grandfather—the original French collector—are selling as part of an inheritance settlement.lemonde

“This is not only a milestone in the history of art but also in the private life of Picasso,” Lucien told Le Monde. “It is a refreshing portrait of Dora Maar; exceptional and full of emotion. Discovering it is a big moment in our lives as experts.”lemonde

The painting was previously known to art historians only through a black-and-white photograph taken by Brassaï in Picasso’s studio in 1944, which appeared in Christian Zervos’s catalogue raisonné. Picasso specialist Agnès Sevestre-Barbe, present at Thursday’s unveiling, emphasized the work’s significance: “It was unknown to the public and never exhibited, except in the Spanish master’s studio in Paris”.thisisbeirut

Art Market Context

The discovery comes at a challenging time for the Picasso market, which has seen significant fluctuations in recent years. Sales totaled $223 million in 2024, roughly one-third of the $597 million spent on the Spanish master in 2023, according to auction data from consultancy Artprice. However, when masterpiece-quality works do appear, they continue to command substantial prices—as demonstrated by a 1969 “Homme assis” painting that sold for $15.1 million at Sotheby’s in May.lemonde

The portrait captures a pivotal moment in both artists’ lives. Painted near the end of Picasso and Maar’s tumultuous nine-year relationship, it shows her with what observers describe as a melancholy but harmonious expression. This was the same year Picasso began his relationship with younger artist Françoise Gilot, leading to his eventual abandonment of Maar.artnet

The Dora Maar Legacy

Henriette Theodora Markovitch, known professionally as Dora Maar, was far more than Picasso’s muse. A accomplished Surrealist photographer, painter, and poet, she documented the creation of his masterpiece “Guernica” and taught him photography techniques. Their relationship, which began when she was 29 and he was 55, was marked by creative collaboration and personal turmoil.wikipedia

The newly revealed portrait will be displayed for three days before the October auction, offering the public its first opportunity to view a work that has remained unseen for eight decades. As the art world continues to reassess the contributions of women artists who were overshadowed by their famous partners, this emergence provides a rare glimpse into one of art history’s most complex relationships.thisisbeirut