Paris raffle turns art lover into winner of Picasso’s $1m Head of a Woman
It began as an ordinary meal in Paris. It ended with a phone call that felt too unreal to trust.
When 58-year-old sales engineer Ari Hodara picked up the call from Christie's, his first instinct was disbelief. “How do I check that it’s not a hoax?” he asked, moments after being told he had just won a Pablo Picasso painting worth around $1 million.
The odds were long. The entry cost was modest. But somewhere between a casual decision over dinner and a global draw, Hodara’s name emerged as the winner of Head of a Woman – a 1941 portrait of Dora Maar, Picasso’s muse and partner.
The artwork was the headline prize of the third edition of the “1 Picasso for 100 euros” lottery, a charity raffle that has quietly become one of France’s most creative fundraising ideas. This year, all 120,000 tickets were snapped up worldwide, generating 12 million euros.
For Hodara, an art enthusiast who says he has long admired Picasso, the purchase was almost accidental. He came across the raffle by chance and decided to try his luck over the weekend.
His immediate plan was simple and personal. “First, I’ll tell my wife,” he said, adding that he intends to keep the painting – at least for now.
Behind the glamour of the prize lies a deeper purpose. The raffle is organised by the Alzheimer's Research Foundation, which channels proceeds into medical research on Alzheimer’s disease. Since its founding in 2004, the foundation has grown into France’s leading private supporter of research in this field.
Not all of the funds go to charity. Around 1 million euros will be paid to the Opera Gallery, which owns the painting. Its founder, Gilles Dyan, said the artwork was offered at a preferential rate, below its estimated public value of 1.45 million euros.
The initiative has a track record beyond this single windfall moment. Previous editions have raised millions for cultural and humanitarian projects, stretching from Lebanon to parts of Africa.
Still, it is the human story that lingers. A man walks into a restaurant, hears about a raffle, spends $117, and walks away, and days later, becomes the owner of a Picasso.
In a city known for its art, chance has once again proven to be its most unpredictable curator.
Source: AP/UNB