Picasso sells for double its expected price - 03/02/2010

A painting by Pablo Picasso has sold at auction for more than twice the amount it was expected to go for.

Tete de Femme (Jacqueline), a portrait of the artist's second wife sold for £8.1 million at Christie's, London despite begin given a pre-sale estimate of £3 million to £4 million.

The surprise sum could have something to do with the mystery surrounding the piece – before the auction it had not been seen in public since 1967, four years after it was originally painted.

The portrait's subject is depicted to have an extremely long neck. In reality, Picasso's wife had a very short neck and the exaggeration is said to be something the painter would frequently do in pictures of his wife for a bit of fun.

Pieces by other esteemed artists such as Renoir and Matisse also sold at Christie's Impressionist and Modern Art Evening Sale, which has so far raised nearly £70 million.