Pablo Picasso

Galerie Louise Leiris, Paris
Sale: Palais Galliéra, Paris, June 24, 1970, lot 50
Saidenberg Gallery, New York
Hokin Gallery, Inc., Palm Beach
Acquired from the above

Paris, Galerie Charpentier, École de Paris, 1956
Chicago, Hokin Gallery, Picasso Ceramics, 1977 (possibly)

Georges Ramié, Céramique de Picasso, Barcelona, 1974, no. 418, illustrated p. 174

The work consists of eight glazed ceramic tiles in a wooden frame. One of the tiles in the top right quadrant has a well-executed repair approximately 5 in long, which is not obviously visible and does not detract from the enjoyment of the work. There are some minor glazing imperfections to the surface which are intrinsic to the work. There is minor surface dirt. in very 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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

After his 1954 split with Françoise Gilot, Picasso bought a new home on the Riviera. It was in this new studio at La Californie where he was most productive in terms of his ceramics practice. From 1956 onwards, Picasso began decorating variously sized tiles. Influenced by traditional Southern French floor coverings, these tiles were diversely themed. Pastorale clearly references the artist's 1946 oil Le Joie de vivre (Pastorale), a triumphant Cubist celebration of life and Western culture in the wake of the end of World War II (see fig. 1), as well as Henri Matisse's Bonheur de vivre. While Picasso was experiencing nascent middle-aged authority and freedom in his work and his personal life, he was also grieving Matisse's death. Significantly, Matisse had in fact introduced him to the art of ceramic. Pastorale's Bacchanalian imagery speaks to the revelry and joy associated with the South of France, but also to the memory of a friend and an artist he rarely openly admired.