Pablo Picasso

Galerie Beyeler, Basel
Acquired from the above by the family of the present owner in the 1970s

Paris, Galerie Louise Leiris, Picasso, 172 dessins en noir et en couleurs 1971-72, 1973, no. 49, illustrated in colour in the catalogue

Christian Zervos, Pablo Picasso,Œuvres de 1971-1972, Paris, 1978, vol. XXXIII, no. 366, illustrated pl. 129
The Picasso Project (ed.), Picasso's Paintings, Watercolors, Drawings and Sculpture, The Final Years, 1970-1973, San Francisco, 2004, no. 72-101, illustrated p. 302

Executed on cream card, laid down on the mount, floating in the overmount. There is a crease to the upper left , lower left, and lower right corners. There is some very fine paint shrinkage with associated tiny flecks of paint loss towards the upper right corner, and some further paint loss in places, mainly to the black pigment which would appear to be due to previous rubbing. There is a fleck of paint loss to the white pigment in the nose. Otherwise, this work is in overall good 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."

The present work was painted when Pablo Picasso was in his ninety-second year, testifying to the artist’s extraordinary creative energy which he retained until the end of his life. Picasso continued to work at an incredible pace and to draw upon multitudinous styles and subjects. The present work in particular recalls the contemplative series of self-portraits which he executed in this same year, 1972, an expression of the artist’s musings on his own mortality.  Picasso considers the individual shapes that make up a man’s face and achieves a mask-like quality for the present portrait; the subject gazes back at the viewer, only half-human. Tête d’homme is a wonderful demonstration of the limitless energy and extraordinary legacy of one of the most outstanding artists of the 20^th century.