Pablo Picasso

Alex Merlino (a gift from the artist in 1961)
Sale: Artcurial, Paris, 3rd April 2007, lot 209
Private Collection, Paris
Sale: Artcurial, Paris, 5th June 2014, lot 213
Purchased at the above sale by the present owner

Executed on the frontispiece of a book entitled 'Picasso, Toros y Toreros' by Luis Miguel Dominguin. The edges of the sheet are very slightly time-stained. There is a small spot of foxing in the upper left corner and a tiny flattened crease across the tip of the upper right corner. This work is in overall 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. 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."

This charming and appealing group of three works on paper reveals Pablo Picasso’s remarkable ability to depict seemingly tangible and animated forms through a few deft strokes of the pen. Picasso drew as he lived and breathed, creating thousands of drawings throughout his long career which represent the instantaneous translation of his thoughts onto paper and which underpin all his artistic achievements.

Executed as ‘dedications’ for close friends on the frontispieces of books, Portrait de femme, Scene de tauromachie and Tête humoristique are highly personal works which display Picasso’s creative genius and skills as a draughtsman to superb effect. In particular, the subject of the bull fight, featured within Scene de tauromachie, stands as one of the most iconic within Picasso’s entire œuvre due to the special significance it held for the artist. As Neil Cox and Deborah Povey suggest: ‘For Picasso, the bullfight engendered special relationships between the horse, the matador, the picador, the Minotaur and, of course, the artist himself’ (N. Cox & D. Povey, A Picasso Bestiary, London, 1995, p. 29).