Paris, France – A painting known to art historians only through a single, grainy black-and-white photograph for over eight decades has burst onto the global market, achieving a stunning final price. Pablo Picasso’s intensely vivid portrait, “Bust of a Woman with a Flowered Hat (Dora Maar),” sold for 32,012,397 euros (including fees) at the Drouot auction house in Paris on October 24, 2025.

The sale, which set the record for the highest auction price for any artwork in France this year, marked the dramatic public debut of a canvas that had been concealed within a single private family collection since 1944.

The End of a Muse’s Era

Painted in July 1943, the portrait captures the complexity and tension of Picasso’s relationship with the photographer and artist Dora Maar (1907–1997), who served as his muse and partner from 1936 to the end of the war. Maar was famously the subject of many of Picasso’s most impactful works, including the iconic “Weeping Woman,” and her political and intellectual influence helped shape Guernica.

This specific work, created during the tumultuous years of WWII, depicts Maar in a brightly colored, floral hat. However, despite the vivid, almost celebratory colors, art specialists often interpret the painting as reflecting the emotional strain and vulnerability of Maar as her relationship with the legendary, volatile artist was drawing to a close.

Picasso specialist Agnès Sevestre-Barbé noted the painting’s extraordinary condition and emotional resonance, a testament to its protected life out of the public eye.

A Rediscovery in Pristine Condition

The painting’s provenance is as remarkable as its colors. Purchased in 1944, it remained a family secret until the decision was made to bring it to auction in 2025. For the art world, the unveiling was a major event, allowing scholars and collectors to finally appreciate a key work from Picasso’s “Woman in a Hat” series in its full chromatic glory.

The auction itself at the historic Drouot house generated global interest, attracting bids from the US, Asia, and Europe. Auctioneer Christophe Lucien described the sale as an “enormous success” and an emotional milestone, emphasizing the painting’s unique history as its value proposition.

While the price did not surpass Picasso’s all-time record, it reaffirms the enduring value and desirability of his work, particularly those linked to his powerful muses. The anonymity of the buyer preserves the mystique surrounding the piece, but its public reappearance ensures its permanent place in art history.