Boundless: Contemporary Art

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Lot 30
  • 30

Pablo Picasso

Estimate
3,500,000 - 4,000,000 HKD
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Description

  • Pablo Picasso
  • Twenty-Eight Gold Medallions (a set of 24 + a set of 4)
  • Set of 24 medallions: 
    i. Dormeur--signed and numbered 5/20 and 1398 on the reverse; diameter: 5 cm, 2 in. 
    ii. Visage aux feuilles--signed and numbered 5/20 and 1403 on the reverse; diameter: 5 cm, 2 in. 
    iii. Faune cavalier--signed and numbered 5/20 and 1406 on the reverse; diameter: 5.1 cm, 2 in. 
    iv. Visage aux mains--signed and numbered 5/20 and 1407 on the reverse; diameter: 5.1 cm, 2 in. 
    v. Visage tourmenté--signed and numbered 5/20 and 1408 on the reverse; diameter: 5 cm, 2 in. 
    vi. Visage de faune--signed and numbered 5/20 and 1409 on the reverse; diameter: 5.5 cm, 2 1/8  in.
    vii. Joueur de flute et cavaliers--signed and numbered 5/20 and 1410 on the reverse; diameter: 5.4 cm, 2 1/8  in. 
    viii. Poissons--signed and numbered 5/20 and 1411 on the reverse; diameter: 5.2 cm, 2 in.
    ix. Profil de Jacqueline--signed and numbered 5/20 and 1412 on the reverse; diameter: 5.5 cm, 2 1/8  in. 
    x. Taureau--signed and numbered 5/20 and 1413 on the reverse; diameter: 5.1 cm, 2 in. 
    xi. Visage larvé--signed and numbered 5/20 and 1424 on the reverse; diameter: 5 cm, 2 in. 
    xii. Visage en forme d'horloge--signed and numbered 5/20 and 1425 on the reverse; diameter: 5.2 cm, 2 in. 
    xiii. Visage géométrique aux traits--signed and numbered 5/20 and 1426 on the reverse; diameter: 5.4 cm, 2 1/8  in.
    xiv. Horloge à la langue--signed and numbered 5/20 and 1427 on the reverse; diameter: 5 cm, 2 in.
    xv. Jacqueline au chevalet--signed and numbered 5/20 and 1428 on the reverse; diameter: 5 cm, 2 in. 
    xvi. Tête au masque--signed and numbered 5/20 and 1434 on the reverse; diameter: 5.2 cm, 2 in. 
    xvii. Visage dans un carré--signed and numbered 5/20 and 1435 on the reverse; diameter: 5 cm, 2 in. 
    xviii. Tête en forme d'horloge--signed and numbered 3/20 and 1436 on the reverse; diameter: 5 cm, 2 in. 
    xix. Vallauris--signed and numbered 3/20 and 1437 on the reverse; 5 cm, 2 in. 
    xx. Visage au carton ondulé--signed and numbered 5/20 and 1438 on the reverse; diameter: 5 cm, 2 in. 
    xxi. Centaure--signed and numbered 5/20 and 1439 on the reverse; diameter: 5 cm, 2 in. 
    xxii. Visage aux taches--signed and numbered 5/20 and 1440 on the reverse; diameter: 5 cm, 2 in. 
    xxiii. Joie de vivre--signed and numbered 5/20 and 1441 on the reverse; diameter: 5 cm, 2 in. 
    xxiv. Visage géométrique--signed and numbered 17/20 and 1442 on the reverse; diameter: 5 cm, 2 in. 

    Set of 4 medallions:
    xxv. Trèfle--signed, numbered 5/20 and 1683/1713 on the reverse; 4.5 by 5.3 cm, 1 3/4  by 2 1/8  in. 
    xxvi. Rond--signed, numbered 5/20 and 1678/1770 on the reverse; 5 by 5 cm, 2 by 2 in. 
    xxvii. Poisson--signed, numbered 5/20 and 1691/1712 on the reverse; 5.3 by 4.1 cm, 2 1/8  by 1 5/8  in. 
    xxviii. Médaillon ovale--signed, numbered 5/20 and 1682/1711 on the reverse; 5.3 by 3.2 cm, 2 1/8  by 1 1/4  in. 

  • 23 carat repoussé-ciselé gold, wooden boxes
Each medallion is based after a ceramic created by Pablo Picasso and executed in gold by François Hugo and Pierre Hugo after 1967 in a numbered edition of 20 plus 2 exemplaires d'artiste and 2 exemplaires d'auteur; stamped with Picasso's signature, the edition number and the French assay mark for gold on the chain ring and the Francois Hugo series number on the reverse.

Provenance

Atelier François and Pierre Hugo, Aix-en-Provence
Private Collection, Europe

Condition

The works are in very good condition overall. There are extremely minor signs of surface wear and hairline scratches, all of which are inherent to the medium and only visible under close examination. The works come in their own designated wooden boxes. The are no apparent condition issues with the works.
"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."

Catalogue Note

Pablo Picasso – Painter, Sculptor, Ceramicist

Pablo Picasso is undoubtedly one of the most important artists of the 20th century, and the influences of his versatile works and career as a painter, sculptor, ceramicist, and even stage designer are crucial to the development of modern art. An integral part of his artistic output, Picasso's medallions and plates are testament to the artist's prowess in the medium of plastic arts which were introduced to the artist in 1946 when Picasso visited the annual potters' exhibition in Vallauris, France – a centre for the production of pottery dating back to the Roman era. The visit incited a life-long passion for and dedication to ceramics working alongside Suzanne and Georges Ramié of the Madoura workshop. Most of Picasso's pottery were designed by the artist then subsequently cast into gold or silver by François Hugo and his son Pierre Hugo who were one of the most accomplished gold- and silversmiths in France in the second half of the twentieth century. 

The motifs found on the silver plates and gold medallions are drawn from sources that have inspired Picasso throughout his artistic career. In Profil de Jacqueline, the sitter is Picasso's last love affair and wife Jacqueline Roque whose portraits are promptly featured in many of the artist's best paintings. The imagery found on Joie de vivre is meanwhile a tribute to Modernist master Henri Matisse whose death in 1954 greatly affected Picasso. The ornamental forms, fluid lines and composition of dancers in a circle on the plate recall Matisse's most famed painting La Danse from 1909. Bulls, horses and Minotaurs make up another prevalent theme in Picasso's oeuvre. Since a young age, the artist often attended bullfights in his native country of Spain and continued to do so often throughout France. The vigour and power of these animals and violent events are well captured in the dynamic composition found in Centaure.

Motifs from Picasso's muses, his fascination with bullfights and his admiration for Matisse are promptly featured throughout the full set of twenty-eight medallions as well. Upon seeing the silver plates, Picasso's wife at the time, Jacqueline, suggested that he make some in the form of jewellery for a girl to wear. The inspiration eventually materialised, with Picasso making twenty-four medallions using designs from the silver plates and four more from other compotiers. The technique remained the same, however a hook was added to the back of the medallions so that they could be easily turned into necklace pendants to be worn as artist's jewels on the body. The present lot presents a rare opportunity for a collector to acquire the entire set at once. Like the silver plates, the medallions were often casted on demand or given off individually to the artist's friends as gifts. It took the present owner several years of patient collecting to assemble the complete set of medallions.