Someone is going to win a Picasso for 100 euros in a raffle in France

French Raffle Offers Picasso Masterpiece for Just €100 to Fund Alzheimer’s Research

In a remarkable convergence of fine art and philanthropy, one fortunate individual will soon become the owner of a Pablo Picasso masterpiece worth $1 million for just €100 ($117). The highly anticipated raffle drawing takes place Tuesday at Christie’s prestigious auction house in Paris, marking the third such event organized to support medical research.

The artwork at stake is Picasso’s “Head of a Woman,” a gouache on paper created by the Spanish master in 1941. All proceeds from the raffle will benefit the Alzheimer Research Foundation, a charitable organization that has established itself as France’s leading private financier of Alzheimer-related medical research since its founding in 2004.

This innovative fundraising approach has proven successful in previous iterations. The first such raffle in 2013 saw a Pennsylvania man employed at a fire-sprinkler business win “Man in the Opera Hat,” a 1914 painting from Picasso’s influential Cubist period. In 2020, the second raffle distributed “Still Life,” an oil-on-canvas work painted in 1921, to Claudia Borgogno, an Italian accountant whose son had purchased the ticket as a Christmas present.

Art market observers have noted the democratic nature of these raffles, which allow ordinary people access to ownership of masterpieces typically reserved for ultra-wealthy collectors and museums. Billionaire art collector David Nahmad, who provided the 2020 painting, previously told the Associated Press that he believed Picasso himself would have approved of raffling his work to support charitable causes.

The current raffle has capped ticket sales at 120,000, creating the potential to raise €12 million ($14 million) if fully subscribed. From the proceeds, €1 million will be paid to the Opera Gallery, the international art dealership that currently owns the painting. The remainder will support critical Alzheimer’s research initiatives, continuing the foundation’s mission to advance understanding and treatment of this devastating neurological condition.

The organizers report that the two previous Picasso raffles collectively raised more than €10 million. These funds supported cultural work in Lebanon and water and hygiene programs in Africa, demonstrating the broad humanitarian impact of these artistic lotteries.

The Alzheimer Research Foundation’s innovative fundraising approach comes at a crucial time for dementia research. According to the World Health Organization, more than 55 million people worldwide live with dementia, with Alzheimer’s disease accounting for 60-70% of cases. With global costs exceeding $1 trillion annually and cases projected to triple by 2050, funding for research into prevention, treatment, and cures remains urgently needed.

Art raffles represent a growing trend in philanthropic fundraising, particularly in Europe, where they navigate complex regulations governing lotteries and art sales. By transforming high-value art into accessible opportunities, organizers have created a model that simultaneously democratizes art ownership while generating substantial funding for humanitarian causes.

For the price of a modest dinner, participants gain the chance to own a piece of art history created by one of the 20th century’s most influential artists. Picasso, who died in 1973, remains among the most celebrated artists in history, with his works consistently commanding some of the highest prices in the global art market.

As the auction house prepares for Tuesday’s drawing, thousands of ticket holders around the world await the results with anticipation, knowing that regardless of the outcome, their participation contributes to advancing critical medical research in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease.