Picasso’s ‘Buste de Femme’ goes up for auction in Germany
In 1971, two years before his death, Pablo Picasso created the painting”Buste de Femme.” Art historians have identified the woman in the painting as Picasso’s second wife, Jacqueline Roque.
That painting has now fetched €3.4 million ($3.65 million): on Monday, it was sold at Cologne Van Ham auction house in Cologne.
The work was originally expected to raise between €1.5 to 2.4 million (US$1.6 to 2.6 million). But even at €3.4 million, it was still a bargain compared to the record $179.4 million (about €160 million) paid for Picasso’s “The Women of Algiers” in 2015.
The auction house launched a public relations campaign to try to raised the price of “Buste de Femme”, showing the work in Berlin, Munich and Hamburg before the auction. According to Van Ham, it was the first time in nearly 25 years that a major work by Picasso had gone up for auction in Germany.
O Roque’s painting was originally his property, but was auctioned on behalf of a German private collector.
Rock dedicated to Picasso
Picasso and Roque met in 1953, and Roque, who was born in France in 1927, was more than 40 years younger than the Spanish artist. They got married after the death of the painter’s first wife, Olga Khokhlova.
Picasso portrayed Roque, with his thick dark hair and classically Mediterranean facial features, most often any one of his numerous mistresses or his other wife.
None of his predecessors devoted their lives so fully to Picasso. as Roque did. She returned to France in 1954 and was at his side almost constantly until his death on April 8, 1973, which left her completely bereft.
Emaciated and severely depressed, she took her own life 13 years later. Roque adored Picasso and called him “sun”. At the time of his suicide, Roque was 59 years old.
Picasso used his power
2023 marks the 50th anniversary of the death of Pablo Picasso, and museums around the world pay homage with exhibitions. But the celebrations also increasingly focused on the Spanish artist’s relationships with his wives and mistresses.
Just now — in the wake of the #MeToo movement and a new wave of self-affirmation among women — is a new focus getting paid to the ways in which Picasso explored his power and influence with women.
TThe artist himself did not hide this: he once said that he divided women into goddesses and doormats, and almost every woman in his life went through this change at some point. But now, on the occasion of the landmark year, new books and exhibitions also draw attention. As a result, some art connoisseurs view Picasso differently.
This article was originally written in German and published on June 5, 2023. It was updated on June 6, 2023 to reflect the auction price.
Source: DW
Ashley Bailey is a talented author and journalist known for her writing on trending topics. Currently working at 247 news reel, she brings readers fresh perspectives on current issues. With her well-researched and thought-provoking articles, she captures the zeitgeist and stays ahead of the latest trends. Ashley’s writing is a must-read for anyone interested in staying up-to-date with the latest developments.