Simon Shaw, Sotheby’s global co-head of impressionist and modern art, said: “The blue period is the holy grail for collectors at the highest levels because it is the first time that [Picasso] really finds his own vision — his interest in sex and death and the themes that will underline his career for the next seven decades.”
“La Gommeuse” will be on display in London until October 15 before going under the hammer in New York on November 5.