Spanish House with a Picasso in the Pool Headed to Auction

A Pablo Picasso work from 1961 is headed to auction next week—and it comes with a beach estate in the south of Spain.

The great Modern artist left his mark at the lavish home in Marbella built for his good friend, flamenco dancer Antonio "El Bailarín" Ruiz Soler, by painting and signing the bottom of the pool. The whole property, previously on the market for €15 million (US$17.52 million), goes to auction, starting next Tuesday without a reserve price, according to Concierge Auctions, which is handling the sale.

The bidding will open remotely on Tuesday and will continue through May 31.

The Picasso painting is a primitive sketch of a figure that could very well be an interpretation of his friend, with its extended arms and pointed toe. The artist scrawled "Para Antonio" above the figure and signed the bottom, dated Oct. 29, 1961, images of the pool show.

The artist’s minimalist form contrasts against the opulently detailed Renaissance-revival mansion.

The home, built in the 1960s, around the time Picasso scribbled in the pool, opens into a double-height atrium ringed in columns and centered around a hulking chandelier.

The six-bedroom main house is filled with polished stone floors and Greco-Roman-inspired fixtures, including marble fireplaces and a dining room lined in columned archways. Twoguest houses contain three bedrooms and additional living spaces, according to Concierge.

These days, the home reportedly belongs to a limited liability company linked to British citizens, Spanishnews organization El Confidencial reportedlast year.

The villa abuts the beach and Mediterranean sea in Costa del Sol, one of the hottest property markets along Spain’s southern coast, said Charlie Smith, a European adviser for Concierge Auctions.

"Beachfront properties are rare in this sought-after area of Southern Spain and beachfront villas offering this level of luxury living even more so," Mr. Smith said in a statement.

Costa del Sol is one of several second-home markets that have helped lift Spanish housing prices over the past year and a half, Mansion Global previously reported.

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"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," Mr. Smith said.

The home was previously on the market in 2014 for €15 million (US$17.52 million). Owners often turn to auctions when aspects of the home make it difficult to appraise the market price—in this case the Picasso sketch.

Amenities also include an bar, additional indoor pool, sauna, elevator and private beach access.