With the opening of the MGM Hotel Bellagio in October 1998, fine art made its debut in gaming heaven. Since 2009, MGM Resorts International has been showcasing its ever-growing art collection at another hotel, the Aria Resort & Casino. Now, the leisure group has decided to part with eleven works by Pablo Picasso to diversify its collection.
The sale will include eleven works by Picasso created between 1917 and 1969, offering a comprehensive overview of his career. Headlining the catalog is Femme au béret rouge-orange, an iconic portrait Picasso painted of his then girlfriend, Marie-Thérèse Walter, in January 1938 (estimate $20-30 million). 
The rest of the selection includes Man and Child (1969; estimate $20 million to $30 million), Bust of a Man (1969; estimate $10 million to $15 million) and Still Life with Fruit Basket and Flowers from 1942 (estimate $10 million to $15 million). Some works on paper and ceramics created in Vallauris will also be on view. 
The lots will leave for an exhibition tour in New York, Taipei, Hong Kong and the Bellagio in Las Vegas starting in September. In parallel to the sale, an exhibition of luxury items (automobiles, jewelry and watches, handbags, vintage sneakers) will be presented at the Aria Resort & Casino from October 21 to 24.