Executed across four days in February and March 1964, Femme nue couchée jouant avec un chat is an emphatic ode to Picasso’s beloved wife and tribute to the great painters of history. The 1960s proved a period of invigoration and creative renewal for Picasso. In 1961, the artist married Jacqueline Roque, his partner of the preceding seven years. The triumphant work spans nearly two meters in length and encapsulates the greatest elements of the artist’s late career. From its unfettered brushwork and innovative use of materials to the homage to the Old Masters and near-deification of Jacqueline, Femme nue couchée jouant avec un chat stands as a testament to the artist’s glorious late oeuvre.
Femme nue couchée jouant avec un chat from Pablo Picasso will be offered in Sotheby’s Modern Evening auction on 16 May at Sotheby’s New York as a part of the New York Sales presented in partnership with CELINE.
