Pablo Picasso

Maurice Jardot, Paris (acquired from the artist)
Galería Theo, Madrid
Acquired from the above by the present owner in 1980

Madrid, Galería Theo, Francis Bacon - Pablo Picasso, 1977
Mexico City, Museo de Arte Moderno, Pintura Española del siglo XX, 1978, illustrated in the catalogue
Tokyo, The Seibu Museum of Art, Picasso, 1980, no. 15, illustrated in colour in the catalogue
Madrid, Centro Cultural Conde Duque, 30 Artistas Españoles de la escuela de París, 1984
La Coruña, Iber Caja, Los Lenguajes de Picasso, 2005, illustrated in colour in the catalogue and illustrated on the cover

The canvas is unlined and there is no evidence of retouching under ultra-violet light. This work is in very good original condition. Colours: In comparison with the printed catalogue illustration, the greys are stronger and the purple has a slightly deeper, less pink tonality in the original.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Buste de femme was painted shortly after Picasso's separation from Françoise Gilot, at the time when a new woman and model entered into his private and professional life: Jacqueline Roque. The image of Jacqueline, whom Picasso would marry in 1961, first appeared in his works in May 1954, and would dominate his art until the end of his career. Picasso's renderings of Jacqueline constitute the largest group of images of any of the women in his life. The artist first met her in 1952 at Vallauris during one of his visits to the Madoura pottery studio, where his ceramics were created and where Jacqueline had recently started working. Unlike Gilot, Jacqueline was ever-accepting of the notoriously temperamental artist and his single-minded obsession with his art, and doted on him ceaselessly in his old age. Picasso experienced a calm and peace with this woman that he had not felt since his days with Marie-Thérèse, and, like his golden mistress, Jacqueline became his muse for some of his most imaginative compositions.