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Pablo Picasso’s “Femme nue couchée”, from 1932, will be up for grabs when it hits Sotheby’s auction block on May 17, making it the first time ever, the famous painting is up for auction – for an expected $60 million.
The painting has been in the current anonymous owner’s possession since 2008, and it depicts Marie-Thérèse Walter, with whom Picasso had an affair with while he was still married to his wife Olga. The pair first met when Marie was only 17.
“Picasso’s portraits of his golden muse Marie-Thérèse are undeniable hallmarks of 20th century art. When unveiled at his career retrospective in 1932, this cycle of monumental works scintillated with their rapturously romantic and sensuous depiction of Picasso’s heretofore sequestered mistress. A radical departure from tradition, this striking painting is at the same time a deeply lyrical ode to the artist’s unbound desire for Marie-Thérèse; with her fin-like, endlessly pliable limbs, the portrait continues to enchant as it perfectly captures Picasso’s muse as the ultimate expression of his genius.”
– BROOKE LAMPLEY, SOTHEBY’S CHAIRMAN AND WORLDWIDE HEAD OF GLOBAL FINE ART SALES
For more information about the Sotheby’s auction, check out their website.
Photo: Sotheby’s