The work Femme Têteof the Spanish artist Pablo Picassovalued at more than US$1 million, was delivered for just US$117 in Paris, France.
The work It was the prize of the raffle 1 Picasso for 100 euroswhich offered participants the chance to win the painting. Each ticket cost 100 euros, about Q900, and the funds raised are destined for the Alzheimer’s Research Foundation in Europe.
Of the 120 thousand tickets sold, number 94,715, purchased by Ari Hodara, was the winner. When he received the call from the organizers that he had won the work, Hodara, who is an art lover in Paris, couldn’t believe it and thought it was a hoax.
Péri Cochin, one of the organizers, had to switch to video call to show Hodara that the draw was taking place live and with an audience present.
“I was very, very surprised; it was very exciting. It’s a dream; I never thought I would own a Picasso. It is not within my financial means. Normally, I would only see them in a museum,” the winner told cnn.
TheFemme Tête was painted by Picasso in 1941, when he was in Paris. It is about 38 centimeters high and 25 centimeters wide, and shows a woman in shades of gray with an intentionally distorted expression.
According to Hodara, he is still evaluating whether he will keep the work in his home or let it remain for a while longer in the vault of Christie’s, the auction house that organized the raffle. The winner of the first drawing decided to display his prize in a museum.
This is the third edition of the 1 Picasso for €100 campaign, each one with a different objective. The first was carried out in 2013, in search of the preservation of Tire, a historic city in southern Lebanon, and the second was in 2020 to support programs for access to drinking water and hygiene during the covid-19 pandemic.
Picasso’s grandson, Olivier Widmaier Picasso, told cnn that his grandfather created Femme Tête in the same studio where He painted his masterpiece, Guernica.; However, he considers that it is worth much more than US$1 million, “So it will be a really great prize,” he said.
He added that he is sure that his grandfather would have supported the initiative of 1 Picasso for €100since he was a pioneer in many aspects and always showed interest in getting involved in innovative projects.
Other works by the artist have been auctioned for more than $179 million, such as “Les Femmes d’Alger (Version ‘O’)”, sold in 2015.
