A Parisian art enthusiast had an unbelievable stroke of luck when he discovered on Tuesday that he had won a Pablo Picasso painting valued at over $1 million in a raffle. Ari Hodara, a 58-year-old sales engineer, expressed his disbelief upon receiving the call from organizers at Christie’s auction house in Paris confirming his win and questioned if it could be a hoax.
Hodara, a self-proclaimed Picasso admirer, stumbled upon the charity raffle by chance while dining at a restaurant over the weekend and decided to purchase a ticket. After learning of his win, he mentioned that his first step would be sharing the news with his wife, who was still at work, and initially, he planned to retain possession of the artwork.
The painting in question, “Head of a Woman,” dated 1941, portrays Picasso’s muse and partner, Dora Maar. This artwork was the centerpiece of the “1 Picasso for 100 euros” lottery, where a 100 euro ticket equated to approximately $162. The raffle aimed to raise funds for Alzheimer’s research, offering participants the opportunity to own a piece by the renowned Spanish artist.
The global draw concluded with all 120,000 tickets sold, generating 12 million euros ($19.5 million) in proceeds. The Opera Gallery, an international art dealership that owned the painting, will receive one million euros from the total amount. Gallery founder Gilles Dyan noted that a special pricing arrangement was extended for the artwork, with its public value set at 1.45 million euros ($2.35 million).
Notable past raffles included a Pennsylvania man winning “Man in the Opera Hat” in 2013 and an Italian accountant claiming “Still Life” in 2020. These initiatives, organized by the Alzheimer Research Foundation, have collectively raised over 10 million euros for various charitable causes. The foundation, established in 2004 at a prominent Paris hospital, has emerged as a key supporter of Alzheimer-related medical research in France.