A lucky man in France has won an original painting by Pablo Picasso valued at over €1m (£870,000; $1.2m) through a charity raffle.
Ari Hodara, an engineer and art enthusiast, discovered his win on Tuesday after receiving a video call from Christie’s in Paris.
“How do I know this isn’t a prank?” the 58-year-old asked when he was told he was the new owner of the 1941 work by the Spanish master.
Organisers revealed that more than 120,000 raffle tickets were sold at €100 (£87; $118) each, generating approximately €11m (£10m; $13m) for Alzheimer’s research.
The draw marked the third edition of the “1 Picasso for 100 euros” initiative, which was first launched in 2013.
This year’s winning piece, Tête de Femme (Head of a Woman), is a gouache-on-paper portrait created in Picasso’s distinctive style.
The artwork portrays his partner and muse, the French surrealist artist Dora Maar.
“I was surprised, that’s it,” said Hodara during a phone call with auctioneers after the draw. “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.”
Hodara held ticket number 94,715, which he said he purchased over the weekend after stumbling upon the competition.
The raffle was organised by French journalist Peri Cochin, with support from Picasso’s family and foundation.
She noted it was a “great thing” that the winner resides in Paris, even though participants entered from dozens of countries.
“It’s going to be very easy for us to deliver the painting, so we’re happy,” she said.
Paris holds deep significance in Picasso’s life, as the city where he lived and produced much of his work. Today, thousands of his paintings, prints, and sculptures are housed in its museums.
Out of the total funds raised, €1m will go to Opera Gallery, the current owner of the artwork, while the rest will support 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,” said the foundation’s head, Olivier de Ladoucette, according to AFP.
The inaugural raffle in 2013 was won by a 25-year-old American from Pennsylvania, with proceeds used to preserve the Lebanese city of Tyre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
In 2020, the second edition saw a 58-year-old Italian accountant win after her son gifted her a ticket for Christmas.
Funds from that draw supported sanitation projects in schools and communities across Cameroon, Madagascar, and Morocco.
