In brief
In a remarkable turn of events, Ari Hodara, a 58-year-old engineer, emerged as the winner of a prized Picasso painting during a charity raffle that aimed to raise funds for Alzheimer's research. Having sold over 120,000 tickets, the raffle not only generated significant fundraising amounts but also allowed Hodara to receive the original artwork, Tête de Femme, valued at over €1 million. The initiative underscores the intersection of art and philanthropy, with proceeds benefiting crucial health research.
A man has won an original Pablo Picasso painting worth more than €1 million in a charity raffle. Ari Hodara, an engineer and art enthusiast, learned he was the winner on Tuesday when he answered a video call from Christie's auction house 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 said more than 120,000 tickets for the prize draw were sold at €100 each, raising around €11 million for Alzheimer's research. The draw was the third edition of the '1 Picasso for 100 euros' fundraising raffle, which was founded in 2013. This year's prize was Tête de Femme (Head of a Woman), a gouache-on-paper portrait rendered in Picasso's signature style, depicting his partner and muse, the French surrealist artist Dora Maar.Hodara's ticket was number 94,715. He said he bought it over the weekend after learning about the competition by chance. French journalist Peri Cochin organised the raffle with backing from Picasso's family and foundation. She expressed delight that the winner lived in Paris, despite tickets being sold in dozens of countries worldwide.Of the money raised, €1 million is set to go to the Opera Gallery, the painting's owner, with the remaining funds donated to France's Alzheimer's Research Foundation. The initiative hopes to turn the tide on Alzheimer's, aiming for the day when it will be merely a bad memory.
