Picasso portrait fetches $95 million

reuters ^ | May 3, 2006 | Christopher Michaud

[Anti-Bubba182]

NEW YORK (Reuters)- Picasso's 1941 portrait of his mistress, "Dora Maar with cat," sold for an astounding $95 million at Sotheby's on Wednesday, becoming the second most expensive painting in auction history.

The vibrant, large-scale work depicts Maar, the surrealist photographer Picasso was romantically involved with for a decade, seated in a chair with a small cat perched on the back.

It had been expected to sell for upwards of $40 million, but the winning bid of $95,216,000, including commission, caught even Sotheby's officials by surprise.

"I was hoping for 70-plus," said David Norman, Sotheby's co-chair of Impressionist and modern art, after the sale. "We thought it was worth more, and we were right."

Even Tobias Meyer, the usually unflappable auctioneer, admitted he was surprised when the bidding passed $65 million.........."

[Anti-Bubba182]

Can You believe this crap.

[Frwy]

I wonder if the person who bought it would buy me a tank of gas.

[DB]

Well... He did disturbing well...

[STARWISE]

Which is the cat?

[Tunehead54]

I think "crap" about sums it up - I wouldn't pay $50 for it even if it came with the frame. ;-)

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[Billthedrill]

I'm sure the lady was flattered.

Hooboy.

[Torie]

I like the pic, but I have other priorities, and prefer to spend my loose available 95 mil in cash elsewhere. It just isn't that good, and will not extend my healthy life, or my testosterone level, so I must eschew the temptation.

[Eagles6]

She ain't my type. I'm sorta into human, if ya know what I mean.

[Eagles6]

He was obviously a liberal, a very distorted view of beauty.

[garyhope]

"I wouldn't pay $50 for it even if it came with the frame. ;-)"

Not even to resell it for a $94,999,950 profit?

I hope you keep your day job.

[beckett]

This Picasso, Garçon à la Pipe (Boy with a pipe), sold for $104 million in March 2004.

These collectors should just affix the money to the wall of their gallery and invite their friends to view the cash itself, because that's really what this is all about. The price paid is the thing, not the art.

[Spktyr]

Note that the cat in the background is undistorted.

At least Picasso had his priorities straight. ;)

[HAL9000]

Well, she did turn the color of an avocado.

[paulat]

She ain't my type. I'm sorta into human, if ya know what I mean.

Isn't this about the point where Joan Rivers is these days?

[FairOpinion]

Art PING

[supercat]

What's the highest price for a Bourguereau? The worst of those is probably as good as the best Picasso (in Picasso's early days, he did some works that weren't too bad, though I've seen nothing of his I'd call exceptional).

Actually, ArtRenewal.org has some paintings by living artists that also blow away anything Picasso ever did, though unfortunately those people probably won't earn $95,000,000 for all their works combined.

[ArrogantBustard]

I certainly can believe it, as similar pieces of evidence (of mental illness) have also sold for enormous sums of money. I don't get it ... if you want to see "art" like this, go into psychotherapy. Not only do you get to see the "modern art" (numerous original works, no less), you get to meet and have fascinating ... ummmmmmm ... conversations ... with the "artists" themselves. The best part is, you don't have to pay for it. Instead, you get paid. Win/Win ... if you're into "modern art".

Doubtless there will be sophists on this site, to tell us how wonderful this painting is. But after their babble has ended, it will still look like something produced by a mental patient in an art-therapy session.

[Tunehead54]

I hope you keep your day job.

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Sorry - I don't have one or need one. I'm 51, retired and "comfortable". Check my post times - my only job is keeping an eye on FR. Cute point. Yes, I'd take the 99M - I just don't understand the "value" of the painting. We've been up to the National Museum of Art twice recently and its a tremendous collection. I (we) appreciate art but maybe you can explain why I should appreciate this "art" and why its worth 95M? I'm in the Clearwater area and could drop down to a famous Picasso museum in 40 minutes but in 12 years I've found better things to do. ;-)

[Tunehead54]

Oops! I meant to invite you for a ride on my new boat - it only cost me 32 Million.

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[conservative in nyc]

Actually, ArtRenewal.org has some paintings by living artists that also blow away anything Picasso ever did, though unfortunately those people probably won't earn $95,000,000 for all their works combined.

Living artists can paint more paintings. There will never be another original Picasso. The easiest way for an artist to raise the value of his paintings is to die - but he won't get any money for it.