During the recent Impressionist and Modern sales at Sotheby's Pablo Picasso’s arresting portrait of his 'Golden' muse Femme au béret et à la robe quadrillée (Marie-Thérèse Walter) sold for £49.8 million. With additional museum-quality works reaching record prices in the wider market, and rarely seen masterpieces appearing at auction on both sides of the Atlantic, Picasso has never been more popular.
Collectors from around the globe continue to fuel the appetite for works that remain a driving force in the international art market. It is no coincidence that a major exhibition of the artist's work from his "year of wonders" is currently on display at Tate Modern. The exhibition explores not only his devotion to Marie-Thérèse, but his development of an inimitable visual language that produced many of the great paintings by this master of Modernism. A stunning portrait, Le Repos, also from 1932, will be offered in the Impressionist & Modern Art Evening Sale on 14 May in New York.
Ahead of the Prints & Multiples sale on the 27 March, we select 5 exquisite Picasso prints that are estimated under £5,000 — providing the perfect opportunity to add to your existing collection. From delicate portraits to bold, graphic compositions bearing the hallmarks of a typical Picasso drawing — these works could also mark the beginning of an exciting collecting journey.
1. Pablo Picasso, Arlequin et personnages divers. Estimate: £3,000—4,000.
From Picasso’s grand 347 séries, Arlequin et personnages divers depicts curious clowns and a host of colourful characters one might find at the circus. Of the series, Picasso explained, "…it’s my way of writing fiction."
PABLO PICASSO, ARLEQUIN ET PERSONNAGES DIVERS (B. 1517; BA. 1533). ESTIMATE: £3,000—4,000. © SUCCESSION PICASSO/DACS 2018.
2. Pablo Picasso, Au bain. Estimate: £3,000—5,000.
A rare Picasso etching on parchment, this classically-derived composition is part of his la Suite Vollard. The suite was named for his patron Ambroise Vollard, the famed art dealer responsible for popularising the work of Modern Masters including Renoir, Cézanne, and van Gogh.
PABLO PICASSO, AU BAIN (B. 136; BA. 201). ESTIMATE: £3,000—5,000. © SUCCESSION PICASSO/DACS 2018.
3. Pablo Picasso, Céret - Picasso. Estimate: £3,000—5,000.
Picasso designed this bold linoleum cut to advertise an exhibition of his own ceramics and white pottery, which debuted at the Musée Municipal d'Art Moderne, Céret in 1958.
PABLO PICASSO, CÉRET - PICASSO (B. 1283; BA. 1048; PP. L-27; CZW. 32). ESTIMATE: £3,000—5,000. © SUCCESSION PICASSO/DACS 2018.
4. Pablo Picasso, Scène d’Intérieur. Estimate: £3,000—5,000.
With Scène d'intérieur, Picasso revisited his revolutionary Cubist period. Fragmented and abstracted, the work breathes new life into the concept of the domestic interior scene.
PABLO PICASSO, SCÈNE D'INTÉRIEUR (B. 74; BA. 241; M. XXI). ESTIMATE: £3,000—5,000. © SUCCESSION PICASSO/DACS 2018.
5. Pablo Picasso, Nature morte au pot de grès. Estimate: £2,000—4,000.
Depicted against a sparse background, the objects in this still-life almost appear to hover. The resulting dynamic sense of space recalls early Spanish still-life paintings by artists such as Zurburan.
PABLO PICASSO, NATURE MORTE AU POT DE GRÈS. ESTIMATE: £2,000—4,000. © SUCCESSION PICASSO/DACS 2018.
The exhibition Picasso 1932 – Love, Fame, Tragedy is at Tate Modern until 9 September.
CLICK HERE to view the full sale catalogue.
