A Picasso masterpiece which has not been on public display for 43 years has sold at auction for £8.1m.Tete de Femme was painted in 1963 and is a portrait of the artist’s second wife - who became the most important of all his Muses and models.
But she didn't have the long neck portrayed - she actually had a short neck which Picasso would often "humorously" exaggerate in portraits.
After being in the same collection since 1981 the painting was put up for sale at Christie’s London with an expected price of £4m.
But there was obviously a fan of long necks out there -- a phone bidder snapped up the painting for £8,105,250.
Giovanna Bertazzoni, Director and Head of Impressionist and Modern Art, Christie’s London: "Tonight’s sale sent a strong signal to consignors that demand is high and that knowledgeable buyers from around the world are committed to acquiring works of art. "The increased confidence of vendors meant that this evening we could feed the appetite of these buyers by offering a greater supply than in recent months."
No comments:
Post a Comment