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Paris resident claims €1m Picasso artwork
Ari Hodara, a 58-year-old engineer and art lover from Paris, was declared the winner of a Pablo Picasso painting valued at over €1 million in a charity raffle on Tuesday.
Hodara received the news via a video call from Christie's auction house in Paris. Initially skeptical, he asked, "How do I know this isn't a prank?" upon learning he had won the 1941 piece by the renowned Spanish artist.
Raffle raises €11m for Alzheimer's research
Organizers reported that more than 120,000 tickets were sold at €100 each, generating approximately €11 million for Alzheimer's research. The event, titled "1 Picasso for 100 euros," marked its third edition since its inception in 2013.
This year's prize, Tête de Femme (Head of a Woman), is a gouache-on-paper portrait of Picasso's muse, French surrealist artist Dora Maar. The work reflects the artist's distinctive style.
Winner's reaction and ticket details
Hodara, who purchased ticket number 94,715 over the weekend, admitted he had not expected to win. "When you bet on this, you don't expect to win... But I'm very happy because I'm very interested in painting, and it's great news for me," he told auctioneers during a follow-up call.
He learned about the raffle by chance and decided to participate.
Organizers celebrate local winner
French journalist Peri Cochin, who organized the raffle with support from Picasso's family and foundation, expressed satisfaction that the winner lived in Paris. "It's going to be very easy for us to deliver the painting, so we're happy," she said.
The city holds significant ties to Picasso, who lived and worked there for much of his life. Many of his works are displayed in Parisian museums.
Funds allocated to research and artwork owner
Of the €11 million raised, €1 million will go to the Opera Gallery, the painting's owner, while the remainder will be donated to France's Alzheimer's Research Foundation.
"This Picasso initiative is one more building block so that one day Alzheimer's will be nothing more than a bad memory,"
Olivier de Ladoucette, head of the Alzheimer's Research Foundation (via AFP)
Previous raffle winners and causes
The first edition in 2013 was won by a 25-year-old American from Pennsylvania, with proceeds supporting the preservation of the UNESCO-listed city of Tyre in Lebanon.
A 58-year-old Italian accountant claimed the second edition in 2020 after receiving a ticket as a Christmas gift from her son. Funds from that raffle were directed toward sanitation projects in schools and villages across Cameroon, Madagascar, and Morocco.
