Picasso’s Iconic Portrait of Lover Expected to Fetch Over $120 Million at Auction

A masterpiece by Picasso, titled “Femme à la montre,” is set for auction this fall, with estimates exceeding $120 million. This stunning 1932 oil painting will take the spotlight at Sotheby’s in New York in November, part of the Emily Fisher Landau collection.

Measuring 51¼ x 38 inches, the artwork portrays Picasso’s muse, Marie-Thérèse Walter, who played a central role in his art.

Sotheby’s notes this piece is from Picasso’s prolific 1932 period, celebrated in a 2018 exhibition.

Julian Dawes, Sotheby’s Head of Impressionist & Modern Art for the Americas, called it a “masterpiece” radiating “joyful, passionate energy.”

Picasso and Walter’s story began in Paris in 1927, while he was married. Walter became his primary inspiration, leading to the end of his marriage. He painted “Femme à la montre” in August 1932 after a retrospective in Paris.

Sotheby’s describes it as Picasso’s liberation from secrecy, seen in vibrant colors and meticulous details.

Both Picasso and Walter have passed away.

The painting is among 120 pieces from Emily Fisher Landau’s collection, valued at over $400 million. Fisher Landau started collecting art after an armed robbery in 1969.

In previous auctions, Picasso’s portraits of Walter have fetched high prices, with “Femme assise près d’une fenêtre (Marie-Thérèse)” selling for $103.41 million in 2021 and “Nude, Green Leaves and Bust” for $106.5 million in 2010. In 2015, “Les femmes d’Alger (Version ‘O’)” set a record, selling for $179.4 million.

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