Picasso portrait of his lover Marie-Thérèse Walter as a sea creature fetches US$67.5 million
Picasso portrait of his lover Marie-Thérèse Walter as a sea creature fetches US$67.5 million
A work by Pablo Picasso entitled 'Femme nue couchee' is displayed at Sotheby's in New York, on May 11, 2022. (Seth Wenig / AP)
Pablo Picasso's most curious painting of his lover Marie-Thérèse Walter, in which she appears as a tentacled sea creature, has sold for US$67.5 million, over the estimate of $60 million.
"Femme nue couchée" ("Naked woman reclining"), made its auction debut Tuesday at a Sotheby's sale in New York. Ahead of the sale, the auction house said that the anonymous seller acquired the work directly from Picasso's descendants in 2006 after it had been in the artist's estate for decades. Picasso died in 1973, and Walter in 1977.
The work, painted in April 1932 during a prolific period for the famed modern artist, was one of many that he made of Walter, who became the mother of his second child, Maya. When they met, she was 17 years old and he was 45 and married to the Russian-Ukrainian dancer Olga Khokhlova.
The pair's rocky romance has been idealized too through exhibitions such as Gagosian's "Picasso and Marie-Thérèse: L'amour fou" in 2011, which featured around 80 paintings, sculptures, drawings and prints of the model, and Tate Modern's "Picasso 1932: Love, Fame, Tragedy" in 2018, which focused on the obsessive year in which he made many of the works featuring her image. Picasso began an affair with the photographer Dora Maar around 1936, overlapping with his relationship with Walter, and Maar, too, and she too became one of his artistic subjects.
Through Picasso's gaze, Walter has been illustrated sensually daydreaming, fully nude in hues of blue, and formally posing in furs, each work toying with the picture plane in his bold, abstracted style. But in "Femme nue couchée," she transforms into another species entirely with serpentine gray limbs. Brooke Lampley, chair and head of global fine art sales at Sotheby's, described "Femme nue couchée" as 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," she said in a press statement ahead of the sale. "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."
Russian air defences stopped eight drones converging on Moscow, officials said Tuesday, in an attack that authorities blamed on Ukraine, while Russia continued a a relentless wave of daylight and nighttime bombardment of Kyiv that began Monday.
Public Services and Procurement Minister Helena Jaczek says the Liberal government expects to have a plan for the future of 24 Sussex Drive by the fall.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is pushing for special rapporteur David Johnston to 'step aside' from his role examining the issue of foreign interference before he embarks on public hearings.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has failed to persuade the House of Commons to condemn the Liberal government's approach to fighting drug addiction.
Canadian political leaders and parliamentarians are denouncing a new law passed in Uganda that imposes harsh penalties, including the death penalty, for certain cases involving homosexuality.
The body of a Winnipeg boy who fell into Sturgeon Falls on Saturday has been found following a desperate underwater search that lasted more than a day.
With the summer swimming season fast approaching, the Canada Safety Council is reminding people to be careful and take measures to prevent drowning, especially after three children died just days apart.
A former Ontario cabinet minister is suing the Canadian Security Intelligence Service and unidentified employees who he alleges leaked classified information with the intent of harming his reputation.
A Quebec driver who caused the death of another motorist when he swerved his truck to avoid hitting a family of ducks on the road has been sentenced to eight months in jail and a three-year driving ban.
The body of a Winnipeg boy who fell into Sturgeon Falls on Saturday has been found following a desperate underwater search that lasted more than a day.
Nine people were injured Monday evening when gunfire erupted along a beachside promenade in Hollywood, Florida, sending people frantically running for cover along the crowded beach on Memorial Day.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Monday his son is resigning as his executive policy secretary to take responsibility for using the prime minister’s residence for a private party at which the merrymaking was exposed in magazine photos that triggered public outrage.
The driver of vehicle with a sign indicating there was an explosive device on board led Maine State Police on a chase on Interstate 95 to the Canadian border on Monday, officials said.
Police fired tear gas and demonstrators burned cars Monday near the home of Senegal's main opposition leader, as tensions rise in the capital days before a court verdict is expected on charges against the politician.
Bangladesh should not bear the burden of more than 1 million Rohingya refugees alone while UN agencies are facing challenges to feed them, a United Nations official said Monday.
Canadian national Matthew Dupre has been successfully extradited to Thailand in connection with the killing last year of a criminal gang member, Thai authorities said on Monday.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is pushing for special rapporteur David Johnston to 'step aside' from his role examining the issue of foreign interference before he embarks on public hearings.
Canadian Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez said Monday he is starting to review the mandate for CBC and its French-language service Radio-Canada, including ways the government can bolster funding to the public broadcaster so it is less reliant on advertising dollars.
Public Services and Procurement Minister Helena Jaczek says the Liberal government expects to have a plan for the future of 24 Sussex Drive by the fall.
Three national health organizations want Canada's premiers to push for initiatives to reduce smoking during settlement negotiations with major tobacco companies, years after provinces sued to recoup health-care costs.
A United Nations report from 2022 found wildfires are becoming "more intense and more frequent" and said with temperatures on the rise as global warming worsens, 'the need to reduce wildfire risk is more critical than ever.'
Artificial intelligence means everyone can now be a computer programmer as all they need to do is speak to the computer, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said on Monday, hailing the end of the 'digital divide.'
North Korea on Monday notified neighbouring Japan that it plans to launch a satellite in coming days, which may be an attempt to put Pyongyang's first military reconnaissance satellite into orbit.
Quebec actor Michel Cote, who captivated audiences with his roles in the theatre piece 'Broue' and films such as 'Cruising Bar' and C.R.A.Z.Y.,' has died at 72.
George Maharis, a stage-trained actor with rough-hewn good looks who became an icon to American youth in the 1960s as he cruised the country in a Corvette convertible in the hit television series 'Route 66,' has died.
Asian shares were mixed in directionless trading Tuesday following a U.S. holiday, as optimism about a deal on the U.S. debt was dented by worries about the regional economy.
The discussions, which some companies call 'stay interviews,' are designed to collect feedback from employees and are aimed at learning what the company can do to retain valued team members and keep them happy.
Artificial intelligence means everyone can now be a computer programmer as all they need to do is speak to the computer, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said on Monday, hailing the end of the 'digital divide.'
Animated movies are often a child’s first exposure to media and film. And the representation of people of color in media influences how they feel about race as they mature, a study by the non-profit Common Sense has found.
From actions in their local communities to mass demonstrations, here's how Canadians from all walks of life are inspiring others to take part in helping the environment.
Authors discuss their new book, 'Sorry, Sorry, Sorry: The Case for Good Apologies,' which aims to demystify the process of delivering honest apologies.
The Philadelphia 76ers went all-in with their NBA championship pursuit on Monday, selecting veteran Nick Nurse as their new coach to try to win the franchise's first title since 1983.
Fernando Alonso has five podiums in six races in a remarkable season for Aston Martin, yet still feels he's no closer to catching Red Bull's Max Verstappen. The two-time Formula One champions now head to a race with special significance for both of them.
Formula One champion Max Verstappen's lights-to-flag victory at the Monaco Grand gave the Red Bull driver his fourth victory of the season and a record 39th overall for the team as he extended his championship lead to 39 points over teammate Sergio Perez on Sunday.
A Tennessee company is refusing demands from U.S. regulators to recall millions of vehicles due to airbag inflators that can explode and shoot shrapnel into drivers. While cases are rare, there has been at least one death in Canada, where officials lack the authority to demand a similarly sweeping recall.
A work by Pablo Picasso entitled 'Femme nue couchee' is displayed at Sotheby's in New York, on May 11, 2022. (Seth Wenig / AP)
