Why did Picasso paint this series?

Picasso created the 15-painting series as a tribute to Delacroix and Matisse, who died in 1954. He reinterpreted Delacroix's 1834 harem scene through Cubist fragmentation while Matisse's odalisques influenced the sensual subject matter.

What makes Version O special?

Version O is the largest and final painting in the series of 15, representing Picasso's ultimate statement on the theme. Its vibrant colors and complex fragmentation summarize months of artistic exploration.

Why is it so valuable?

The $179.4 million price reflects Picasso's status as the 20th century's most collected artist, the painting's role as the series culmination, and its monumental size compared to the other 14 versions.

Les Femmes d'Alger (Version O) | $179M Auction Record

Pablo Picasso completed this Les Femmes d'Alger (Version O) in February 1955, the final and largest painting in a series of 15 works inspired by Delacroix's 1834 work. The canvas explodes with fragmented female forms rendered in vivid reds, blues, and yellows, the figures' bodies deconstructed into geometric planes that fold and overlap throughout the composition.

Picasso created the series just weeks after Henri Matisse died in December 1954, later saying Matisse had left his odalisques to him as a legacy. The timing also coincided with the start of the Algerian War of Independence, lending political undertones to these reimagined harem scenes. At 44 by 57 inches, Version O stands as the culmination of Picasso's dialogue with art history through his Cubist lens.

In May 2015, the painting sold at Christie's New York for $179.4 million, setting the world auction record at that time. Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani, former Prime Minister of Qatar, acquired it. The sale demonstrated the enduring market dominance of Picasso's work and the series' significance in his late career.