September, Friday 20, 2024

Golden Muse: Picasso's Masterpiece featuring Woman with a Watch fetches £113m in sale


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A Pablo Picasso painting from 1932 has been sold for $139 million, making it the second highest price ever achieved for the artist. The artwork, titled "Femme a la Montre" or "Woman with a Watch," has also become the most valuable work sold at auction this year. The painting depicts Marie-Therese Walter, a French model and lover of Picasso, who served as the subject for many of his artworks. The piece was valued at $120 million before being auctioned and was previously owned by art collector Emily Fisher Landau. The identity of the anonymous buyer remains unknown. "Femme a la Montre" features a seated Walter on a throne-like chair against a blue background. She was often referred to as Picasso's "golden muse." Their relationship began when Walter was 17 and Picasso was 45, and it was kept secret while he was still married to Ukrainian ballerina Olga Khokhlova. Walter served as the subject for numerous Picasso works, including "Femme Nue Couchee" (Nude Reclining Woman), which sold for $67.5 million at an auction in 2022. The most expensive Picasso painting ever sold at auction is "Les Femmes d'Alger" (Women of Algiers), which fetched $179.3 million in 2015. Born in Malaga in 1881, Picasso rose to prominence in Barcelona before moving to Paris in 1904 and becoming one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. He explored various styles and themes throughout his career, notably pioneering the technique of "Cubism" that depicts objects or people from multiple angles simultaneously. Picasso produced around 150,000 artworks during his eight-decade-long career and passed away in 1973 at the age of 92. While his artistic legacy remains renowned, recent years have brought concerns regarding his behavior, including allegations of cruelty, womanizing, and coercive behavior.