Pablo Picasso

Galerie Louise Leiris, Paris
Sale : Finarte, Milan, 26 June1985
Acquired at the above sale by the present owner

Christian Zervos, Pablo Picasso, Paris, 1973, vol. XVII : œuvres de 1956 à 1957, no. 99, illustrated p. 44

The canvas is not lined. There is no evidence of retouching under UV light. Apart from some very minor frame abrasion along the upper edge, this work is in excellent original condition.
"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."

In the years that followed Matisse’s death (on November 3rd 1954), Picasso painted two series of Ateliers, also known as Paysages d’intérieur, which were his way of grieving, by producing new variations on the theme that the two artists had shared. Picasso had moved to La Californie, a large Belle Epoque villa overlooking Cannes, situated not far from Vallauris, with large windows that opened onto a luxurious garden. In this place of Mediterranean colours so conducive to the exploration of new pictorial themes, Picasso never tired of depicting, with very restricted means, the space of his studio-lounge, always showing the same features: the window with its palm-tree decorations, the wardrobe, the Moroccan copper stove, the central easel, all of which are like quotations from Matisse, like melancholic appropriations of the motifs that were dear to his departed interlocutor. As Pierre Daix emphasises, Picasso embarks upon "a verification of Matisse's language, instilling these symbols with new meaning" (Pierre Daix, La Vie de peintre de Pablo Picasso, Paris, 1977, p. 362). 

Picasso even goes as far as changing his manner of painting: he uses light layers, leaving the white of the canvas visible, abandoning the shadows and outlines that usually form the foundation of his compositions. The colour scheme is no longer austerely Spanish and the pastel tones quietly echo the joyful Vence interiors painted by Matisse. From an iconographic point of view, certain commentators have suggested that the plaster head that appears in the first series is here replaced by a blank canvas placed on the easel, as if Picasso was symbolically calling out to the departed Matisse and inviting him to paint (Elisabeth Cowling & John Golding, Matisse/Picasso, exhibition catalogue, London, Paris, New York, 2002-03, p. 171). This canvas is thus a poignant homage from one of the greatest masters of the twentieth century to the one he considered to be his alter ego.