Pablo Picasso

Lithograph printed in red, 1945-46, a rare impression of the eighth state of eighteen, framed 

With the Marina Picasso stamp (Lugt 3698)

The print is in good condition, the full sheet. There are unobtrusive creases in the bottom left, bottom right and top right corners, the longest eight inches. The right sheet edge has yellowed and is unevenly trimmed. Three hinges pressing through in the top sheet edge. the verso with four printed landscape scenes, possibly from another artist,
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 1945, Pablo Picasso began an intensely prolific collaboration with the printer Fernand Mourlot, producing hundreds of lithographs. The artist quickly mastered the medium he had learned two decades prior and found that it offered a surface perfect for altering an image, reworking and revising until he arrived at a final composition, often creating important work as he navigated the process. 

The progressive proofs comprising Le Deux Femmes Nues (lot 115) and the very rare red impression of the eighth state (lot 116) illustrate the evolution of a theme as the subjects morph from shadowy figures to ones clearly defined and then finally abstracted entirely. The lines become more certain however the soft female curves appear increasingly less human, their bodies ultimately made up of shapes flowing together.

As complex as Picasso’s relationships with woman were throughout his life, the representation of the female was similarly complicated in his work. Sleeping women were a recurring subject and the supine feminine figure, in the presence of a minotaur (Minotaur caressant une dormeuse, Bloch 201), a boy (Garcon et dormeuse à la chandelle, Bloch 226) or another woman (La Dormeuse, Bloch 435), became an object in need of observation and protection.  It is fitting that the theme was developed so eloquently in the present lots. Of particular note is the expression of the figure on the left, first seemingly just watching the recumbent woman; then turning to face forward, initially pensive, then passive, and lastly inscrutable.  It is a treat to view the transformation of the image in full and to do so is both an enlightenment of the lithographic medium and evidence of the artist’s interest in exploring the representation of a theme.