How to Score a Picasso for $136
A famous work by Pablo Picasso could be yours, not for the six figures and above his artwork normally sells for, but for around $136.
The grandson of the late Spanish painter is raffling off Picasso's L'Homme au Gibus - or Man With Opera Hat - in a bid to raise money for the International Association to Save Tyre, a Lebanese city listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
"He was a helpful person, very generous, giving money around him during many difficult times," Oliver Picasso told Sky News. "My grandfather was a pioneer, he was happy to be the first in every kind of situation."
The fundraising campaign is called "1 Picasso for 100 Euros," indicating the price of each raffle ticket, which comes out to approximately $136. Art lovers will have to act fast, however, as only 50,000 raffle tickets are being sold.
The raffle tickets are available online at www.1picasso100euros.com.
"The Man with the Opera Hat" is a cubist period piece from 1914 currently on display at the PAD London Art Fair. The Picasso original is valued at over $800,000, according to the BBC.
"It's the first time in the world," PAD London's president, Patrick Perrin, told the BBC. "It's never been done and it's just a great idea to raise money for a fantastic cause."
The winner will be chosen Dec. 18 in a drawing at Sotheby's in Paris.