"Femme au Beret et a la Robe Quadrillee (Marie-Therese Walter),1937" which was created by Pablo Picasso has sold for nearly £50 million (about NT$20 billion) at the Impressionist and Modern Art Evening Sale at Sotheby's London. The buyer still remained unknown bid the portrait by telephone, and the price is far higher than the original estimate of £36 million.
It is reported that this painting is based on the Picasso's lover, Marie-Thérèse Walter. Their relationship began when Marie was only seventeen years old and she gave birth to Picasso's daughter María in 1935. At the first sight of the woman portrait, viewers might feel touched that it was painted by a man who deeply fell in love. However, in fact, Picasso painted another woman behind Marie. He was charmed by Dora Maar then, and he was in two minds with this relationship. Once Picasso had said, if Marie saw her walking out this portrait, and she would feel so painful. Picasso's paintings, the dream(shown as below) and Femme Ecrivant , are also based on Marie-Thérèse Walter.
For the very first time, this painting shown on the international auction market, achieved an impressing price, and entered his personal top ten highest-priced record. The painting was also created in 1937 during his career, the same year he painted another masterpiece Guernica.
Figure 1:
Pablo Picasso, FEMME AU BÉRET ET À LA ROBE QUADRILLÉE (MARIE-THÉRÈSE WALTER), 1937, oil on canvas, 55 x 46cm. © Estate of Pablo Picasso/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York; Sotheby's
Figure 2:
Pablo Picasso, the dream, 1932, oil on canvas, 130 x 97 cm . © Estate of Pablo Picasso/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.
