The painting "Buste de femme au chapeau à fleurs" is a portrait of Dora Maar, a French artist and poet who was one of Picasso's most well-known muses. He painted the painting, which is 80 times 60 centimeters in size, in 1943. In 1944, it was purchased by a French collector, and it is his grandchildren who are now selling it, due to an inheritance settlement.
According to Picasso specialist Agnes Sevestre-Barbe, the painting has never been publicly displayed, except in Picasso's own studio before the sale – and she thinks the discovery constitutes "a milestone in art history and in Picasso's history".
The starting price is 87 million kronor but the painting is expected to bring in more. The Picasso painting that has been sold for the most money is "Les femmes d'Alger (Version O)" which went for approximately 1.5 billion kronor.
