A Picasso masterpiece is on display in Dubai ahead of an auction later this year.
“Femme à la montre” has an estimated value of £120m and is on display at DIFC, before it travels on to Hong Kong and London.
It will then return to New York, where it will be auctioned in November, with an estimate in excess of $120m.
Picasso masterpiece in Dubai
It is a rare opportunity for art enthusiasts and collectors to see one of the twentieth century’s most important artworks.
Bought by Emily Fisher Landau in 1968, the major acquisition has been hanging above the mantlepiece in her New York home for more than five decades.
The work is considered one of Picasso’s finest creations. Its date, scale, subject, vibrancy and provenance are all exceptional.
Depicting Marie-Thérèse Walter, the artist’s “golden muse” and the subject of many of his most accomplished portraits, it dates from 1932, a year of such importance that an entire museum exhibition was dedicated to it (Tate Modern & Musée Picasso Paris 2018).
Sheikh Salem bin Khalid Al Qassimi, Minister of Culture and Youth, said “Over the years the UAE has earned the status of being a global art destination, which receives a further boost as this rare Picasso is unveiled here.
“Art enthusiasts and collectors in the UAE will have the privilege of viewing the masterpiece first before it sets out on a world tour.
“We commend Sotheby’s for choosing the UAE as the first stop for the Picasso masterpiece, which returns for exhibition outside of America after 50 years.
“Dubai’s hosting of the rare Picasso underscores its importance in attracting the best of art and its role in furthering the global art movement.
“We welcome such endeavours that boost the local communities’ engagement with the international art world and help foster a stronger cultural and creative ecosystem.
“It is a way to inform and educate the upcoming generation of artists about the power of creativity and the value it holds.
“The flourishing art community in the nation owes its success to a blend of local and international influences. We are committed to further enhancing the global art landscape by fostering a culture of collaboration and exchange.”
Dr Saeed Mubarak bin Kharbash, CEO of the Arts and Literature Sector at Dubai Culture, said: “The presentation of Picasso’s extraordinary masterpiece in Dubai underscores the UAE’s global significance and amplifies our commitment to nurturing a thriving art ecosystem.
“This exhibition enriches our cultural landscape and demonstrates our dedication to providing world-class artistic experiences to our local and international audiences.
“It also cements Dubai’s position as a global centre for culture, an incubator for creativity and a thriving hub for talent, fostering a vibrant cultural scene that resonates across borders and celebrates art’s transformative power.”
Sotheby’s has been continuing its commitment to showcase the best of the best of its worldwide offerings to the region for a number of years.
In 2020, Sotheby’s Dubai exhibited an extremely rare Renaissance painting by Botticelli, which later sold for a record-breaking $92.2m.
At the time, it marked the highest value painting ever to be brought to the Middle East by an auction house.
Since then, the walls of Sotheby’s Dubai gallery have hosted the best of the best works by the likes of Boetti, Wassily Kandinsky, Andy Warhol and more.
Earlier this year, Sotheby’s Dubai also exhibited the record-breaking Estrela de Fura: 55.22 ruby and the Eternal Pink diamond, which were exhibited in Dubai and sold in New York this summer for $34.8m each.
The unveiling of this Picasso overtakes the record set by Botticelli, and marks the first time a painting of this calibre by the world-renowned artist has ever been exhibited in the UAE.
It is its first exhibition outside of the US in over 50 years, and the first stop of its world tour prior to its auction at Sotheby’s New York in early November, as part of the collection of pioneering patron Emily Fisher Landau.
- The public view will take place at Level 1, Gate Village Building 3, Dubai International Financial Centre, September 26, from 10am to 7pm.
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