巴布羅·畢加索與亨利·勞倫

Henri Laurens

Pablo Picasso (acquired from the above)

Marina Picasso (by descent from the above after 1973)

Sale: Sotheby's, New York, November 3, 2008, lot 7

Private Collection, Europe (acquired at the above sale)

Sale: Christie's, London,  February 9, 2011, lot 27

Acquired from the above by the present owner

Santa Fe, Gerald Peters Gallery, Picasso and Clay: Three Decades of Ceramics from the Marina Picasso Collection, 2000, no. 11, illustrated in color in the catalogue

Henri Laurens, Exposition de la Donation aux Musées Nationaux, Grand Palais, Paris, 1967, no. 116, illustration of the terracotta figure without paint (titled Femme en chemise and as as dating from 1921)

Picasso, el diagolo con la ceramica (exhibition catalogue), Fundación Bancaja, Valencia, 1998, illustrated in color p. 74

Picasso: A Dialogue with ceramics; Ceramics from the Marina Picasso Collection (exhibition catalogue), Tacoma Art Museum, 1998-99, illustrated in color p. 82

Terracotta painted with India ink. There are some tiny ink losses, visible in the catalogue illustration, particularly along the sharper edges of the sculpture. There is a thin, vertical crack in the figure's back, which seems to be inherent to the medium. Over all, this work is in 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.
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 the catalogue of Marina Picasso's collection of ceramics, it is noted that Laurens created this work in 1921, giving it the title Femme en chemise.  After Picasso painted it between 1951-53, it became known as Femme debout.  The present work dates from the time when Picasso was working in the Vallauris pottery factory, where he devoted time to creating various objects fired in the local kilns.  It seems that Picasso appropriated Lauren's original ceramic and made his own mark on it thirty years later, evidencing his fascination with the aesthetic of terracotta glazing and painting.  While Picasso was known to collaborate with several artists throughout his career, including Julio Gonzalez in the late 1920s, the present work is one of the boldest manifestations the quote often attributed to Picasso, "good artists copy, great artists steal."