Pablo Picasso

Estate of Pablo Picasso
Private European Collection
Acquired in 2010

Christian Zervos, Pablo Picasso, Vol. XXV : Œuvres de 1965-67,  Paris, 1972, no. 163, illustrated p. 89

The canvas is not lined. There is no evidence of retouching under UV light. Apart from some very minor frame abrasion at the corners, this work is excellent original 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."

During the urgency of his twilight years, Pablo Picasso invented a new way of painting, more brutal, elliptical, and spontaneous. This final period reduced characters and objects to their primal essence, as in this expressive and audacious portrait of a man, painted in 1965. The 84 year old artist manages, using very few brushstrokes, to immortalise the face of a bearded man, stripped bare of any specific attributes. The elliptical and synthetic language of Picasso’s late style is expressed through dynamic shortcuts and a formal purification, as the artist attempts to express the very essence of the masculine face on his canvas with only a few brushstrokes. The reduced palette, comprising essentially of blue, black, green and pink, creates a minimalist and expressive representation. More than simply a medium, the paint becomes a productive matter that illuminates the painting with a unique aura.  Thus the canvas becomes a fusion of drawing and colour, part of a quest to find a complete and simple art, so that “drawing and colour become the same thing” (Hélène Parmelin, Picasso dit…, Paris, 1966, p. 85). This quest for spontaneity and rapidity stems from a desire to get straight to the point while using the most simple methods. Picasso commented that “only a few lines, pink, green […] that’s all you need isn’t it? What else do I need to do? What can I add to that? Everthing has been said” (Hélène Parmelin, op.cit, pp. 18-19).     

Is this the reflection of his own image or that of his father, or even the representation of a typical man? One clue does seem to point towards the self-portrait: the striped Breton shirt forever associated with Picasso from the 1950s.