PARIS - An oil painting by Pablo Picasso, unseen by the public for more than 80 years, will go under the hammer in Paris next month. The painting, "Bust of a Woman in a Flowery Hat," depicts French pho­tographer and painter Dora Maar -- one of Picasso's lovers and most famous muses -- wearing a bright, flowery hat made up of pastel green, blue and yellow strokes. De­spite the vivid color pal­ate, Maar's expression is one of concern. Created in July 1943, during the Nazi occupation of Paris, the work is a "canvas of major his­torical and artistic importance, all the more as it remained unseen by the public for over eighty years," according to art expert Agnès Se­vestre-Barbé. "It was in May 1943 that Picasso met the young painter Françoise Gilot, who, after the war, would bring a clearer, brighter spirit to his work. But in the sum­mer of 1943, Dora remained his principal model," Sevestre-Barbé said in an essay published online by auction house Lucien Paris, which is selling the painting. The newly discovered portrait of Maar was acquired in 1944 by an un­named collector and has remained in his family ever since. "To our knowledge, it has never been ex­hibited nor appeared at auction," Sevestre-Barbé said. It is expected to sell for at least $9.45 million, ac­cording to Reuters news agency.