A lucky art enthusiast in Paris was pleasantly surprised to discover he had won a valuable Pablo Picasso painting worth over $1 million in a raffle on Tuesday. Ari Hodara, 58, expressed disbelief and excitement when he received the call from organizers at Christie’s auction house confirming his win.
Hodara, who considers himself an amateur art lover with a particular fondness for Picasso, purchased the raffle ticket on a whim after learning about the charity event while dining at a restaurant over the weekend. He plans to share the news with his wife, who is still at work, and intends to keep the painting for the time being.
The raffle, titled “1 Picasso for 100 euros,” featured Picasso’s artwork “Head of a Woman,” a 1941 portrait of Dora Maar, Picasso’s muse and partner. The online draw, which aimed to support Alzheimer’s research, offered participants the chance to win a painting by the renowned Spanish artist for a ticket price of 100 euros, equivalent to around $162.
The lottery successfully sold all 120,000 tickets worldwide, generating 12 million euros ($19.5 million) in total proceeds. Out of this amount, one million euros will be donated to the Opera Gallery, the art dealership that owned the Picasso painting. The gallery’s founder, Gilles Dyan, disclosed offering a discounted price for the artwork, which has a public value of 1.45 million euros ($2.35 million).
This year’s raffle marks the third edition of the event, following previous successful raffles that raised significant funds for cultural initiatives in Lebanon and water and hygiene programs in Africa. The charity behind the raffle, the Alzheimer Research Foundation, has been a leading private supporter of Alzheimer’s medical research in France since its establishment in 2004.
Past winners of the Picasso raffle include a Pennsylvania man in 2013 and an accountant from Italy in 2020. The raffle draws attention to the unique opportunity to own a piece of Picasso’s legacy while contributing to charitable causes.