Francis Picabia

La Bourride, Marseilles (directly from the artist in 1919)
Sale: Hôtel Drouot, Paris, June 27, 2007, lot 81
Acquired at the above sale by the present owner

William A. Camfield, Beverley Calté, Candace Clements, Arnauld Pierre & Pierre Calté, Francis Picabia, Catalogue Raisonné, 1915-1927, vol. II, New Haven & London, 2016, no. 607, illustrated p. 261

La Bourride: Executed on a folded double page of cream wove paper, removed from a notebook, consistent with the pinholes in the fold due to the binding. There is a tiny tear (approx. 0.4 cm long) to the lower left corner, a small nick to the upper part of the right edge and a tiny paper loss to the upper left corner. There is a small flattened crease to the lower left quadrant and the sheet is slightly undulating. There are a few dots of foxing in places and this sheet is slightly light stained. There is a small dot of dirt, possibly studio, to the center of the upper half of the composition. This work is in overall good condition. Poem : Executed on a folded double page of cream wove paper, removed from a notebook, consistent with the pinholes in the fold due to the binding. There is a tiny tear (approx. 0.4 cm long) to the lower right corner and a nick to the upper right corner. The sheet is slightly undulating. There is some light staining to the sheet and a few scattered dots of foxing. This work is in overall good condition. Restaurant guest book : Notebook with a marbled cover. Some of the bindings are a little loose. The central pages of the guest book has came loose. There is some staining to the cover and to the frontispices. This book is in fairly 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 work is executed on a leaf of 4 pages. It is sold with the guest book of the restaurant La Bourride in Marseilles, including notably autographs, a drawing by Albert André, a drawing by Albert Marquet and an handwritten poem by Francis Picabia dated April 13, 1919 : Dimanche 13 Avril 1919 / Pendant l'armistice / La bourride chez Henri Fabre / Si gentiment la bourride / Toute rêveuse / a de bons placements. / Sourires épanouis / des frivolités méridionales / l'oeil / si distinctement / a la magie du chant / qui écarquille le nez / dans le voisinage / des parfums de la rue de la Paix and signed Francis Picabia