Pablo Picasso

Ambassador William Averell Harriman; Washington DC
Ambassador Pamela Harriman (Epouse du précédent; Vente de sa succession : Sotheby's New York, The Estate of Ambassador Pamela Harriman, 19 mai 1997, lot 95)
Acquis lors de cette vente par le propriétaire actuel

Georges Bloch, Picasso. L'oeuvre gravé et lithographié, vol. I, Berne, 1968, no. 1
Brigitte Baer, Picasso - Peintre Graveur - L'oeuvre gravé, vol. I, Berne, 1986, no. 2
Brigitte Léal, Christine Piot, Marie-Laure Bernadac, & Jean Leymarie, Picasso, La Monographie, 1881-1973, Barcelone, 2000, no. 143, une autre épreuve reproduite p. 74

Very good impression and full margin sheet. Flattened creases running all along the top and bottom margins. Apart from some light oxidation stains and faint traces of the mount along the edges and 5 minor cleaned foxing marks throughout in the plate this work is in overall 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."

print with drypoint. Executed in 1904.

Réalisée durant la période bleue de Picasso, Le Repas frugal compte parmi les chefs-d'oeuvre de l'art graphique du XXe siècle et rappelle avec force ses expériences de jeunesse dans le quartier artistique aux logements modestes de Montmartre. Le Repas frugal dépasse le simple thème de la misère abjecte ; "Ce Repas frugal, en unissant un aveugle qui cherche réconfort aurpès de sa compagne devant un repas réduit au pain et au vin, résume l'humanité de la période bleue en la dépassant dans un dessin proprement génial et une gravure où taille et contre-tailles sont d'une finesse étonnante" (Pierre Daix, Dictionnaire Picasso, Paris, Robert Laffont, article "Repas frugal").

 

Executed during Picasso's Blue Period, Le Repas frugal is a masterpiece of 20^th Century printmaking and powerfully recalls the artist's youth living in modest dwellings in the artistic quarter of Montmartre.  Le Repas frugal transcends the simple theme of abject poverty; "This Repas frugal, by pairing a blind man seeking comfort with his companion from a meagre meal of bread and wine, sums up the humanity of the Blue Period by transcending it in a drawing that is itself brilliant and a print in which the proportions are astonishingly sharp" (Pierre Daix, Dictionnaire Picasso, Paris, Robert Laffont, article "Repas frugal").