A 1932 Picasso masterpiece, Femme à la montre, was sold for $139 million, making it the second most valuable work by an artist.
This acquisition also secures the status of the most valuable work sold at auction in the current year.
The artwork was described by Sotheby’s as the “prized jewel” of about 120 artworks owned by Emily Fisher Landa.
Portrait Exceeded Sotheby’s Estimates
The Portrait easily exceeded Sotheby’s estimates by $19 million.
But the Portrait still fell short of Les femmes d’Alger, which stood at $179.4 million in 2015.
An anonymous buyer owned the Portrait, but Emily Fisher Landau, an art collector, previously owned it.
What is Femme à la montre?
Femme à la montre is Pablo Picasso’s painting that captures the image of Marie-Therese Walter, a French model and Picasso’s clandestine lover.
She is depicted seated in a throne-like chair against a vibrant blue backdrop.
Picasso had created about 150,000 pieces of artwork in all his life.
