Rare Picasso to be displayed at art dealer exhibit in Montreal

The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts is welcoming a rare painting by Pablo Picasso.

The Hétaïre — also known as “The Courtesan with a Jewelled Collar” — is an oil on canvas that dates back to 1901.

“It’s only been lent once outside of Italy in the last 20 years, so it’s a unique opportunity to see this work,” says modern art curator Anne Grace.

The work will be displayed as part of a larger exhibit that spotlights the story of avant-garde art dealer Berthe Weill.

Weill, who lived from 1865 to 1951, was the first woman to showcase emerging artists.

“Even though Berthe Weill is relatively little known, she in fact was the first person to sell a work by Picasso in Paris,” Grace explains.

“This work is extremely important in our exhibition because it was included in the very first exhibition that Berthe Weill devoted to Picasso in April 1902.”

According to the Montreal Museum, Weil was also the first to exhibit Henri Matisse.

The exhibit runs from May 10 to September 7 and will comprise more than 100 works by renowned creators of modern art.