Bague de forme ovale, portrait de Dora Maar (c. 1936-39) by Pablo Picasso. All images courtesy of Sotheby's

Want to buy Picasso’s consolation ring for Dora Maar?

When Picasso’s lover threw a ruby ring into the Seine he made her a new one - it's at auction at Sotheby's tomorrow

Dear male members of the species: as apology-gifts go you'll have to go a long way to match this ring made by Pablo Picasso for his lover and muse Dora Maar.

Picasso created the work after a row during which Dora threw a ruby ring she'd persuaded Picasso to trade a painting for into the River Seine - an act she later regretted when a search of the riverbed failed to recover it.

Bague de forme ovale, portrait de Dora Maar (c. 1936-39) by Pablo Picasso.

The replacement ring - an emblem of Picasso and Maar's intense and turbulent relationship - features a portrait of Maar drawn in ink and coloured pencil on paper encased in a metal frame. It was incredibly dear to her; she kept it until her death in 1997.

Tomorrow Wednesday (June 21), Sotheby's London will offer it up for auction, with an estimate of £300,000–500,000 - enough to stop anyone from tossing it. For more on Picasso get this book; and buy your kids this book.

PicassoRoland Penrose

Price AUD$29.95 Price CAD$27.95 Price £14.95 Price T19.95 Price USD$19.95 Price €17.95

The name which predominates in the development of art throughout the twentieth century, and to which many of the revolutionary changes are ascribed, is that of Pablo Picasso (1881-1973). Not only was he one of the most influential artists, he was also one of the most versatile. This beautifully produced book surveys the whole range of his paintings, from the haunting works of the Blue Period, to the brute power of Les Demoiselles d’Avignon, the lyrical sweetness of his family portraits, the revolutionary developments of Cubism and the later manifold experimentations with form and colour.

Roland Penrose’s introductory essay on Picasso was first published in 1971, when the great master was still alive. Penrose was acclaimed in his own right as a painter, and his long friendship with Picasso gave him unique insight into his life and work. David Lomas has written a preface introducing us to the friendship between these two artists. He has also written notes to each full-page colour plate, discussing the picture in detail, making this a perfect introduction to the twentieth century’s most famous artist.

Specifications:

Format: Paperback
Size: 305 × 225 mm (12 × 8 7/8 in)
Pages: 128 pp
Illustrations: 86 illustrations
ISBN: 9780714827087

Penrose was acclaimed in his own right as a painter, and his long friendship with Picasso gave him unique insight into his life and work.

On the Colour Library Series

"Ideal introductions for students and museum-goers."—Independent

"Phaidon’s excellent Colour Library series: [...] a good introduction to nearly 50 key artists and movements in art history."—Antiques Trade Gazette

"The Phaidon Colour Library Series provides an invaluable introduction to key artists and movements in art history."—Art & Craft