Portrait of Pablo’s mistress fetches €75m

A RARE portrait of one of Picasso’s mistresses has become the second most expensive artwork sold at auction in the world, after going under the hammer for $95.2 million (€75m) in New York.

Dora Maar With Cat, painted in 1941 at the height of the couple’s tempestuous relationship, almost doubled its pre-sale estimate of $50m (€39.4m) at Sotheby’s.

And it was not far from beating the world record for an artwork at auction set by another Picasso in 2004, when his Boy with a Pipe fetched $104.2m (€82m).

Described by Sotheby’s as one of the artist’s most spectacular depictions of his lover, the 3ft by 4ft painting of Maar gives her terrifying talon-like fingernails and the rearranged facial features typical of Picasso’s work.

It was sold to an unidentified buyer who sat at the back of the salesroom and beat several phone bidders to the prize in an auction of impressionist and modernist art.

The staggering winning bid of $95,216,000 for the Picasso came just a day after his portrayal of his Russian ballerina wife Olga Khokhlova fetched $34,736,000 (€27.4m) in New York at rival Christie’s.

Le Repos also easily topped the predictions of the auction house, which had pegged it at around $20m (€15.8m).

The 1932 work dealt with many elements of Picasso’s life, including his fear of his own mortality and the relationship with his bi-polar, superstitious and temperamental wife Olga.

His relationship with Maar, an artist, was one of intellectual exchange and intense passion.

She spoke Picasso’s native Spanish and shared his political concerns, even assisting with the execution of his monumental mural Guernica.

Dora Maar With Cat is viewed as being among the best oils the artist completed of his celebrated lover, whose intelligence stimulated and challenged him.

The sale also set a new world record for a Matisse.

Nu Couche Vu De Dos went for $18.496m (€14.58m), beating the previous auction high for a work by the artist of over $17.056m (€13.45m).

Painted in 1927, during what is considered Matisse’s most accomplished period as a colourist, it had only been expected to fetch $12-15m.

The work is one of a series in which his model is shown against a decorative screen and next to a rococo table and metal samovar.

The overall total made at the sale was an impressive €163.6m

All prices include the buyer’s premium.