Laurence Dollimore
A BRITISH-owned beach estate featuring a Pablo Picasso work will go up for auction tomorrow.
The Malaga maestro painted and signed the bottom of the Marbella pad’s pool for his good friend and famous flamenco dancer Antonio ‘El Bailarin’ Ruiz Soler.
The property will go on auction tomorrow with no reserve price, although it was previously on the market for €15 million.
The bidding will close on May 31 and is being handled by Concierge Auctions.
The painting in the pool is a primitive sketch of a figure that could be that of Soler, featuring extended arms and a pointed toe.
Picasso wrote ‘Para Antonio’ above the figure and signed the bottom, dated October 29 1961.
The six-bedroom main house features polished stone floors and Greco-Roman-inspired fixtures, including marble fireplaces and a dining room lined in columned archways.
Two guest houses contain three bedrooms and additional living spaces, according to Concierge.
The home currently belongs to a limited liability company linked to British citizens.
Charlie Smith, a European adviser for Concierge Auctions said: “Beachfront properties are rare in this sought-after area of Southern Spain and beachfront villas offering this level of luxury living even more so.
“The buyer of the villa will not just be purchasing one of the region’s most prestigious properties, but also a one-of-kind piece of art.”
The home was previously on the market in 2014 for €15 million.
Owners turn to auctions when aspects of the home make it difficult to appraise the market price – in this case the Picasso sketch.
A bar, additional indoor pool, sauna, elevator and private beach access also come with the sprawling pad.
