Ari Hodara, a 58-year-old engineer from Paris, has won a Pablo Picasso painting valued at approximately $1 million after purchasing a raffle ticket for just 100 euros. The artwork, a 1941 gouache-on-paper titled "Head of a Woman," depicts the artist's muse Dora Maar and was provided by Opera Gallery. The raffle sold 120,000 tickets globally, successfully raising significant funds for charity.
This event marks the third iteration of the "1 Picasso for 100 Euros" initiative, a unique philanthropic model that democratizes high-end art ownership while generating millions for humanitarian causes. By leveraging the massive market value of Picasso's estate with the support of his grandson, Olivier Widmaier Picasso, the project successfully funded Alzheimer's research following previous successes in international development and heritage preservation.