Picasso portrait sells for $95.2 million in NY auction

[Lazaro Vega]

Picasso portrait sells for $95.2 million in NY auction

NEW YORK (AP) - A portrait by Pablo Picasso of the woman who

influenced him in the late 1930s and early 1940s has sold at

auction in New York for 95-point-two (m) million dollars.

It's the second-highest amount ever paid for a painting at

auction.

"Dora Maar au chat," (dor-AH' mahr oh SHA') which depicts

Picasso's mistress, went to an anonymous buyer in the room who was

competing with telephone bidders during Wednesday's auction at

Sotheby's.

Its selling price ranked second only to another Picasso piece,

"Garcon a la pipe,"(gar-SOHN' ah lah PEEP') which sold at

Sotheby's for more than 104 (m) million dollars in May 2004.

Also sold were paintings by Monet (moh-NAY') and Renoir

(ren-WAH').

[Dave James]

I heard once that towards the end of his life, Picasso started churning out paintings like Laurence Olivier took movie roles. Realizing the value of his work, and the need to provide for his daughter after his death, he went into the artistic equivalent of hyperdrive. These works were all stored together to be accessed as necessary. If this story is really true, then I'd have to say, Pablo? Mission accomplished.

Up over and out.