Two portraits by Picasso at auction in London

Sotheby's 19 June, a portrait of Marie-Thérèse Walter. The next day, Dora Maar will be on display at Christie s.

Picasso, as we know, has lived many passions, and his mistresses, muses and models, have all fed his creative fire. Among them, Marie-Thérèse Walter, met in 1927, in the street, as she was only seventeen years old. She became his companion, and Picasso is represented on many of the portraits breathing the fullness and sensuality : blonde, tender, and peaceful.

Any other is the enigmatic Dora Maar, beauty dark and sophisticated, met in 1935 at the café des deux-Magots. Close to the Surrealists, Henriette Theodora Markovitch known as Dora Maar is a photographer recognized. Picasso is going to make her the "Woman-who-cries," and one of the figures in "Guernica". Very different to the sweet portraits of Marie-Thérèse, those of Dora are over the years more and more distorted and dislocated.

IN PICTURES >> The paintings, which Picasso never separate

Your support is essential. Subscribe for $ 1 support Us

The two paintings put up for auction in London on June 19 and 20 are fully out of this contrast.

Pack the star of the evening sale held at Sotheby's on the 19th, the "Bust of a woman in profile", dating from 1932, is evaluated approximately 33.8 Million£. An estimate that is still below the bid of the highest caliber - 49, 8 M£ - harvested in February, at Sotheby's, always, by another portrait of Marie-Thérèse "Woman with beret and dress grid".

Painted in 1942, "Woman in a chair", put on sale at Christie's on 20 June on an estimate of 18/25 M£, expresses both the tormented spirit of Dora Maar, the relationship no less tormented uniting it to Picasso, and violence, deaf to the time of the occupation.

AND ALSO >> What is the tax for works of art?

Pablo Picasso, Bust of a woman in profile. Woman writing, 1932.116.2 by 73.7 cm.

Sotheby's

Read our complete file

auctions

Boris Vian, Baudelaire, Karl Lagerfeld: the treasures of the Grand Palace first During the outbreak of coronavirus, the auction can continue For 30 years, Bercy will replenish with an auction

Results. The portrait of Marie-Thérèse Walter was auctioned for 27.3 million pounds ($31.2 million euros. It was sold for 2.4 million pounds at auction in 1997. The work, Woman in an armchair (Dora Maar) has reached 19,358,750 £is 21,952,823 €.