Dubai, UAE – Pablo Picasso’s masterpiece, Femme à la Montre (Woman with a Watch), will be exhibited in Dubai on September 25 and 26. This would be for the first time that the painting has been exhibited outside of the United States in over 50 years.
Femme à la Montre was painted in 1932, a year of immense creativity for Picasso. The painting depicts Marie-Thérèse Walter, Picasso’s “golden muse” and the subject of many of his most iconic works. The painting is known for its bold colors, vibrant brushstrokes, and joyful composition.
The exhibition is taking place at Sotheby’s Dubai gallery in the Dubai International Financial Centre. The public view will take place on September 25 (2-5pm) and 26 (10am-7pm).
Julian Dawes, Sotheby’s Head of Impressionist & Modern Art, Americas, said, “It is a true privilege to have a masterpiece of this significance, by one of the world’s most well-known and well-loved artists, unveiled in the UAE as the first stop on its world tour. One of the greatest works of modern art, we have ever brought to auction, it is the perfect artwork to showcase and continue our commitment to bringing the best of art and culture to the region.”
Sotheby’s said that in 2020, it exhibited a painting by Botticelli, which was estimated in excess of $80 million, and at the time made headlines as the highest value painting ever to be brought to the Middle East by an auction house.
“Since then, we have exhibited some wonderful works by the likes of Boetti, Kandinsky, Warhol and more. The appearance of this Picasso on our walls in Dubai will now overtake the record set by the Botticelli, and also marks the first time a painting of this caliber by the artist has ever been exhibited anywhere in the UAE,” Sotheby’s said in a statement.