Pablo Picasso

Estate of the artist

Marina Picasso

Galerie Jan Krugier, New York

Asher B. Edelman, New York

Private Collection, California

James Goodman Gallery, New York

C&M Arts, New York

Private Collection, United States

Munich, Haus der Kunst; Cologne, Josef-Haubrich-Kunsthalle; Frankfurt, Städtische Galerie im Städlichen Kunstinstitut & Zürich, Kunsthaus, Pablo Picasso: werke aus der Sammlung Marina Picasso, 1981-82, no. 194, illustrated in the catalogue

New York, C&M Arts, Picasso's Dora Maar, de Kooning's Women, 1998, no. 10, illustrated in color in the catalogue

The Picasso Project, ed., Picasso's Paintings, Watercolors, Drawings and Sculpture, Spanish Civil War, 1937-1939, no. 38-019, illustrated p. 129

Executed on transparent graph paper. The condition of the design layer is excellent. Light smuding is present, which is likely to have occurred during the working process as graphite is very soft material, and tends to spread readily when it is applied heavily as in this drawing. The support is supple and in very good condition. It has slightly yellowed overall from discoloration. The narrow band across the top is slightly lighter in hue than the central area, indicating that the sheet was once protexted at its edges by a mat. This work is 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.

The legendary Dora Maar is Picasso's model in this intimate drawing from the late 1930s, when Maar's influence over the artist's work was in full ascendancy.  Picasso executed this pencil drawing on a sheet of graph paper, and the composition itself is as complete and thoughtfully rendered as one of his large-scale portraits (fig. 1).  Every one of Maar's attributes, from her long fingernails to almond-shaped eyes, is captured  with careful attention here.  The artist himself must have considered this a fully-realized portrait since he took the trouble of dating it.  Picasso once spoke of his drive for perfection, confiding that "It's rare when I can prevent myself from taking a thing up again..." (quoted in D. Ashton, Picasso on Art, A Selection of Views, West Hanover, 1974, p. 80). 

This picture remained in the artist's collection until his death in 1973, at which point it was inherited by his granddaughter Marina.  It was eventually sold through Marina's dealer Jan Krugier, who was entrusted to sell the works for her collection to finance her charities throughout the world.