PABLO PICASSO

M. & J. Bresnu (known as "Nounours")

Very good condition; not viewed out of frame. The sheet has been removed from a notebook with tiny accompanying tears along the left edge. There is a 1/2 inch tear, center right edge of seat behind her, which seems to be original to the work and the artist's method.
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.

In November 1971, the photographer Brassai visited Picasso at his home at Mougins, Notre Dame de Vie.  It was Picasso's 90^th birthday, and Brassai, who had met Picasso in 1932 and photographed much of his sculpture during the 1930s and 40s, wrote, "Such a flowering of creative energy would be astonishing enough in a man who has already lived longer than many of the great artists of history, but in Picasso's case there is an even more astonishing factor: Instead of bringing with it a slackening of his physical ardour, his great age seems only to stir up the demons within and heighten the intensity of his erotic imaginings"(quoted in the introduction by John Richardson & Marilyn McCully in Sotheby's sale of Pablo Picasso: 26 Drawings from the Berggruen Sketchbook, London, 2005, p. 7).

Picasso began to use sketchbooks during the 1890s and produced over 175 throughout his career.  These sketchbooks record the artist's ideas and inspirations and reflect both his personal thoughts as well as his artistic process.  The present drawing comes from a sketchbook Picasso executed in 1971 and depicts a reclining nude, probably his wife, Jacqueline.  Rendering her with strong, sensuous lines, Picasso emphasizes her dark hair, strong eyebrows and full breasts.

Gert Schiff writes about the works from the end of Picasso's career, "To the last, he poured all his impassioned humanity into his art.  Thus, his last works teach us something that cannot be deduced from the more detached works of other giants in their old age.  By pushing the limits of our self-awareness a little further, Picasso undermines our moral complacency in the name of his own honest and fearless humanism.  Quite often, he does so with disarming naivete and exquisite humor.  For all of these reasons, his last period has a special place within his development.  It is not a 'swan song' but the apotheosis of his career" (Picasso, The Last Years, 1963-1973 (exhibition catalogue) Gray Art Gallery & Study Center, New York University, New York, pp. 11-12).