Ari Hodara, a 58-year-old sales engineer from Paris, won a Pablo Picasso painting worth at least $1 million in a charity raffle after purchasing a $117 ticket. The artwork, "Head of a Woman," a 1941 gouache-on-paper portrait of Picasso's muse Dora Maar, was raffled by Christie's auction house in Paris. Hodara, an amateur art enthusiast, bought his ticket on a whim after learning about the raffle during a restaurant meal. When organizers called to inform him of his win, he initially questioned if it was a hoax.
The raffle, part of the "1 Picasso for 100 euros" initiative, sold 120,000 tickets worldwide, raising approximately $14 million for Alzheimer's research. Of the total, $1 million will go to Opera Gallery, the painting's owner, while the remaining funds will support the Fondation Recherche Alzheimer. This was the third edition of the raffle, following previous wins in 2013 and 2020. Hodara plans to keep the painting for now and share the news with his wife.
The raffle's success highlights the growing trend of art-based charity initiatives, offering rare opportunities for the public to acquire high-value artworks. The event also underscores the broader appeal of Picasso's works, which continue to captivate both seasoned collectors and casual enthusiasts.