On February 8, 2011 a painting of Pablo Picasso’s mistress Marie-Therese Walter sold in London at Sotheby’s Auction House for a whopping 25.2 million pounds ($40.7 million USD). Amazingly, in this time of supposed financial hardship the bidding was heated for over six minutes. The final gavel price came in nearly 7 million over the pre-sale estimate.
The painting entitled La Lecture was purchased by an anonymous phone bidder. La Lecture features Marie-Therese asleep in a chair. Walter met Picasso when she was 17 and he 45. There love affair continued for over 13 years and she bore him a daughter Maya Widmaier-Picasso
born September 5, 1935. Picasso financially supported both Marie-Therese and their daughter but never married her as he continued to remain married to his wife Olga Khoklova.
(image courtesy of Sotheby's)
