- 31
Pablo Picasso
Description
- Pablo Picasso
- L'Atelier
- signed Picasso and dated 26.4.56 (upper right) ; dated 26.4.56 (on the reverse)
- oil on canvas
- 46 by 55 cm ; 18 1/8 by 21 5/8 in.
Provenance
Sale : Finarte, Milan, 26 June1985
Acquired at the above sale by the present owner
Literature
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."
Catalogue Note
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.