OGP | Collectors' Recommendations
Jul 16, 2025
Helena Newman, Global Co-Head of Sotheby’s Impressionist & Modern Art and Chairman of Sotheby’s Europe, commented: “With global demand for Picasso stronger than ever, this emotionally charged portrait—emerging from one of his most pivotal years and appearing on the market for the first time—is the perfect centerpiece for our upcoming season.”
July 15, 2025 — Sotheby’s will present a defining portrait by Pablo Picasso at its upcoming Impressionist & Modern Art Evening Sale in London on February 28.
Offered at auction for the first time, Femme au béret et à la robe quadrillée (Marie-Thérèse Walter) (1937) captures a moment of emotional intensity and personal transition for the artist.
Marie-Thérèse Walter, Picasso’s so-called “golden muse,” is portrayed in a psychologically charged moment at the close of 1937—the same year Picasso completed his masterpiece Guernica. The painting reveals a merging of styles, reflecting the tension between his ongoing affection for Marie-Thérèse and the rising presence of his new lover Dora Maar. A shadowy figure behind the sitter hints at emotional duality—perhaps Maar, or even Picasso himself.
With thick impasto, sharp lines, and vivid contrasts, the painting is strikingly direct and emotionally potent. The once dreamy and voluptuous muse is now depicted as a mature woman and the mother of Picasso’s child, reaffirming her continued influence in his life and art.
The estimate remains upon request.Marie-Thérèse Walter, Picasso’s so-called “golden muse,” is portrayed in a psychologically charged moment at the close of 1937—the same year Picasso completed his masterpiece Guernica. The painting reveals a merging of styles, reflecting the tension between his ongoing affection for Marie-Thérèse and the rising presence of his new lover Dora Maar. A shadowy figure behind the sitter hints at emotional duality—perhaps Maar, or even Picasso himself.
With thick impasto, sharp lines, and vivid contrasts, the painting is strikingly direct and emotionally potent. The once dreamy and voluptuous muse is now depicted as a mature woman and the mother of Picasso’s child, reaffirming her continued influence in his life and art.