Previously Unseen Picasso Portrait of Dora Maar Fetches €32 Million at Paris Auction

Paris was the epicenter of a major art world event on October 24, 2025, when a previously unseen masterpiece by Pablo Picasso went under the hammer. The painting, officially titled “Bust of a Woman in a Flowered Hat (Dora Maar),” was executed in 1943 and commanded a final hammer price of 32 million euros, a figure inclusive of all associated fees. This striking depiction of the artist's muse, Dora Maar, had been kept entirely out of public view for more than eight decades, residing continuously in a private French collection since 1944.

The reappearance of this significant portrait, which was previously known only through a single black-and-white photograph taken in 1944, generated intense excitement among international collectors, spanning from major European hubs to Asian markets. Art specialists, including the expert Agnès Sevestre-Barbé, were particularly struck by the astonishing vibrancy of the colors. She noted that the pigments remained in pristine condition because the canvas had never been treated with varnish. Sevestre-Barbé emphasized that the work retained the “raw material” and the “entire chromatic range” of a fresh studio piece—qualities impossible to discern from the old photographic record. Auctioneer Christophe Lucien characterized the result of the bidding as a “tremendous success,” confirming that the final price significantly surpassed initial expectations.

Painted in July 1943, the portrait is more than just a likeness; it serves as a powerful reflection of a turbulent era in European history and a complex period in Picasso’s personal life. Dora Maar, a talented photographer and artist in her own right, was not merely Picasso’s lover but also a profound catalyst for his creative output. Art historians frequently point out that her influence permeated even the master’s politically charged works, such as the iconic *Guernica*. Furthermore, her portraits often captured an underlying emotional tension that mirrored the widespread turmoil of the time.

This specific canvas belongs to Picasso’s renowned “Woman in a Hat” series. Its journey into private hands began in August 1944 when it was acquired by a French collector; the current anonymous owner is the collector's grandson. Although the painting was never exhibited publicly, its existence was meticulously documented in the art journal *Cahiers d'art*. It is also believed that the photographer Brassaï captured the work in Picasso's studio sometime between late April and early May of 1944. The return of this masterpiece to the open market has allowed experts and enthusiasts alike to appreciate its true brilliance, offering new insight into how the artist navigated the intertwined feelings of despair and hope during that pivotal summer.