Pablo Picasso

Estate of the artist
Marina Picasso, France (by descent from the above)
Sale: Tajan, Paris, June 8, 2005, lot 33
Acquired at the above sale by the present owner

New York, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Picasso: The Last Years, 1963-1973, 1984, no. 18, illustrated in the catalogue
Japan, L'Association des musées d'art Yomiuri Shimbun Sha, Exposition Pablo Picasso, Collection Marina Picasso, 1986-87, no. P-24, illustrated in the catalogue

Christian Zervos, Pablo Picasso, Oeuvres de 1965 à 1967, vol. XXV, Paris, 1972, no. 58, illustrated p. 35

The canvas is unlined. The pigments are fresh and strong. There is very fine stable craquelure to the mint tone in the lower right quadrant. There is minor paint shrinkage to the cream tones around the lilac form in the center of the composition There is minor frame abrasion around the periphery. When examined under UV light, there is no evidence of any restoration or repainting to the canvas. There is very minor surface dirt. The painting is in overall excellent original 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.

The mid-1960s marked a period of great synthesis for Picasso as reflected in the theme of the artist and his model. It proved to be one of his most passionate and energetic projects, inspired by the final and arguably most passionate love of Picasso's life, Jacqueline Roque, whom he married in 1961. The artist explored this subject intensively in the spring of 1965, dividing the pictorial space equally between the painter and his model. As explained by the scholar Marie-Laure Berndac, "the more Picasso painted this theme, the more he pushed the artist-model relationship towards its ultimate conclusion: the artist embraces his model, canceling out the barrier of the canvas and transforming the artist-model relationship into a man-woman relationship. Painting is an act of love" (Marie-Laure Bernadac, "Picasso 1953-1972: Painting as Model" in Late Picasso (exhibition catalogue), Tate Gallery, London, 1988, p. 77). 

As Picasso continued to return to this subject, the painter depicted in his compositions gradually occupied less of the canvas and ultimately was rendered through inferences or symbols. While we do not see Picasso himself, his presence can be interpreted as the blank canvas on the left, which awaits the touch of his brush. His extreme adoration for his subject is felt profoundly by the the artist's own absense, celebrating the femaile figure completely. The pared down brushwork combined with the intense focus on Jacqueline's femininity leads to an almost religious rendering, casting Picasso's model and wife as his personal Madonna.

During this time Picasso also began re-working the compositions of masters such as Goya, Manet and Delacroix (see fig. 1)