FRANCIS PICABIA | Sans Titre

S. Collinet, Paris
Sale: Hôtel des ventes mobilières, Enghien les Bains, December 11, 1977, lot 135
Acquired at the above sale by the present owner

William A. Camfield, Francis Picabia, his art, life and times, Princeton, 1979, no. 298, illustrated np. (under the title La Harpe de Georges and dated circa 1926-28)
Maria Lluïsa Borràs, Picabia, Paris, 1985, no. 470, fig. 588, illustrated p. 314
Michel Sanouillet, Picabia, Paris, 1964, illustrated p. 49

Executed on cream wove paper, not laid down, affixed to the mount with transparent plastic corners at all four corners. The sheet is slightly undulating. There is a pinhole at the centre of the upper edge. There is a small repaired tear (approx.1 cm long) to the left part of the upper edge and a smaller repaired tear at the centre of the lower edge (both not visible when framed). There are a few minor creases at the upper and lower right corners. There is some light abrasion along the extreme edges with a few minor remnants of paper and glue from a previous mounting (not visible when framed). There are handling marks most predominately along the extreme edges and some media marks notably to the upper left quadrant. There is a small minor scratch (approx. 4 cm long) towards the upper left corner. The sheet is light stained with a few scattered dots of foxing. 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."

Created around 1927-28, this watercolour is one of the very first of Francis Picabia’s “Transparencies”. In this series of paintings of superimposed, intertwining motifs, the artist expresses his fascination with the whimsical and the mysterious; with all the things we only catch glimpses of; and with different levels of perception. Marcel Duchamp described the transparencies as having the tendency to “express the sense of the third dimension without the use of perspective.” The early works of this iconic series were painted in 1927 and from September 1928 were exhibited at the Théophile Briant Gallery in Paris, where they enjoyed immense success. The poet Jean Van Heeckeren wrote of this: “Over the past two years, Picabia has made an extraordinary artistic discovery that consists of superimposing numerous transparent figures. This has never been done before. This discovery is as important and prolific as the discovery of the non-representational style twenty years ago.” The paintings’ themes draw on history and tradition, from ancient Greece and Rome to the Renaissance, and are inspired by Piero della Francesca or Sandro Botticelli, as is the case here with the graceful face of a Florentine page.

This work will be included in the forthcoming catalogue raisonné being prepared by the Comité Picabia.