A work by Picasso sold for 103 million dollars: "Woman seated near a window"
"Woman seated near a window (Marie-Thérèse)", by Pablo Picasso, exhibited during a preview of the sale at Christie's, on May 7, 2021 in New York.
DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS AFP / File
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The painting "Woman seated near a window (Marie-Thérèse)", by Pablo Picasso, was sold on May 13 for 103.4 million dollars during an auction held at Christie's in New York.
A sale which confirms the vitality of the art market which has not really suffered from the pandemic, but also the special status of the Spanish painter Pablo Picasso.
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Awarded in 19 short minutes, a lightning war between collectors, and the
Woman Sitting Near a Window
by Pablo Picasso soared for 90 million euros, in fact more than 103 million euros after added costs and commissions.
This is twice the amount of the initial estimate, twice the purchase price of this same work, just eight years ago.
The painting represents one of Picasso's muses and mistresses, Marie-Thérèse Walter, a monumental portrait produced in 1932, a year often considered the best and most prolific of the painter's career.
In full glory, Picasso developed a new style, an explosion of colors and round shapes to depict his very young lover.
For the first time, in this painting, the young woman is not represented in an erotic way, her position is upright, her purple hair and her red body express the power.
This sale is not a record.
In May 2015,
Picasso's
Les femmes d'Alger
panicked the auctions, but the artist confirmed his preference.
He is part of the very closed circle of painters whose five works have now crossed the symbolic bar of 100 million dollars.
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