Workers Terence McAllister, left, and Jose Reynoso set up an exhibit of Pablo Picasso paintings and ceramics Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2021, at the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art. The exhibit, which is open to the public today, Friday and Saturday, is a preview of 11 works in an auction, “Picasso: Masterworks from the MGM Resorts Fine Art Collection.”
Thursday, Oct. 21, 2021 | 2 a.m.
The canvas painting — estimated to be worth as much as $30 million — rested Tuesday afternoon against a wall, propped on two Styrofoam bricks placed on the floor at the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art.
Titled “Homme et enfant,” the colorful piece, created by famed artist Pablo Picasso in 1969, was waiting to be hung by a small crew of gloved workers who were setting up some of the other 10 Picasso pieces for an open-to-the-public exhibit that starts today at the gallery. “Homme et enfant,” oil and Ripolan on a 76 3/4 by 51 1/8-inch canvas, has an estimated value of up to $30 million.
The artworks — nine are paintings and two are ceramic pieces — are part of MGM Resorts’ collection and will be offered at auction Saturday at the Bellagio gallery.
Auction house Sotheby’s, the company in charge of the proceedings, estimates that the pieces could fetch a combined $100 million. The works had been displayed inside the Picasso restaurant at the Bellagio until MGM decided earlier this year to auction some of its works.
“I’ve been so used to seeing them in the restaurant, it really changes the dynamic of the work to see them here inside the gallery,” said Tarissa Tiberti, executive director of arts and culture at MGM. “It’s interesting and fun to see them in this setting. It’s been incredible that the Bellagio has had them on display for over 20 years to be viewed by the public.”
Picasso: Masterworks from the MGM Resorts Fine Art Collection
The following pieces by Spanish artist Pablo Picasso will be auctioned beginning at 6 p.m. Saturday at the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art:
“La Fenetre de I’atelier La Californie” (estimated value: $60,000-$80,000)
“Aiguiere – Visage” ($60,000-$80,000)
“Tete d’homme” ($1.5 million-$2 million)
“Le Dejeuner sur I’herbe” ($300,000-$500,000)
“Tete d’homme barbu” ($50,000-$70,000)
“Homme et enfant” ($20 million-$30 million)
“Nature morte au panier de fruits et aux fleurs” ($10 million-$15 million)
“Buste d’homme” ($10 million-$15 million)
“Nature morte aux fleurs et au compotier” ($10 million-$15 million)
“Pierrot” ($2.5 million-$3 million)
“Femme au beret rouge-orange” ($20 million -$30 million)
— Estimates: Sotheby’s
Near the gallery entrance, “Femme au beret rouge-orange,” perhaps the crown jewel of the collection to be auctioned, had already been hung.
A smaller painting, “Femme au beret rouge-orange” could also demand as much as $30 million at auction, according to Sotheby’s.
The painting, a depiction of Picasso’s lover and frequent muse Marie-Therese Walter, last sold at auction in the 1980s for around $900,000. It was acquired by casino mogul Steve Wynn in 1998, and became MGM’s property when the company purchased the Mirage from Wynn.
Sotheby’s auctions typically take place in locales such as New York, London, Paris, Milan and Hong Kong, and this weekend will mark the first time that one of the firm’s marquee auctions — Picasso: Masterworks from the MGM Resorts Fine Art Collection — will be in Las Vegas. The works that will be auctioned will be on display today through Saturday at the gallery. No tickets are necessary for the exhibit, which will be open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. today and Friday and 10 a.m. -2 p.m. Saturday.
“I think Picasso is going to forever be one of those very important and quintessential artists,” Tiberti said. “He made a lot of breakthroughs. He pioneered a lot of ways and did a lot of work. I think he’ll always be very popular. Much like Monet and van Gogh, a lot of Picasso’s imagery is used over and over again, though the general public might not even know it.”
Another painting in the collection is Picasso’s “Buste d’homme,” which for years hung behind the bar at the Picasso restaurant.
In a news release, MGM said that it planned to “reshape” its public art portfolio with the goal of “deepening” its focus on diversity and inclusion.
“We are committed to creating an even more inclusive collection that maintains the breadth of our existing portfolio while giving a greater voice to artists from under-represented communities,” Ari Kastrati, chief hospitality officer for MGM, said in a statement.
Over the course of more than 70 years as a working artist, Picasso is said to have created more than 13,000 paintings. And now some of those paintings are up for sale on the Las Vegas Strip.
“As one of the most famous, beloved and accomplished artists of all time, we couldn’t imagine anyone better than Picasso to inaugurate this unique art and culture experience,” Brooke Lampley, Sotheby’s chairman and worldwide head of sales for global fine art, said in a statement.
