Francis Picabia

Sale: Galerie Alexandre III, Cannes, Atelier Francis Picabia, 18th August 1934, lot 42 (titled La Source)
Private Collection, France
Galerie Michel Vidal, Paris (acquired from the above)
Acquired from the above by the present owner in 2004

Executed on wove paper, laid down on board, which is the artist's original arrangement. Originally the paper and board may have had a more blue tonality, and have discoloured with time. Apart from two indentations on the chin of the face on the right, two parallel scratches in the top left corner, and other scattered small nicks and scratches, this work is in good condition. Colours: Overall fairly accurate in the printed catalogue illustration, although slightly stronger and deeper in the original.
"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 monumental work on paper belongs to a series known as Transparences, that Picabia executed in the late 1920s and early 1930s, deriving their name from multiple layers of overlapping imagery. The present composition is dominated by the female nude in the centre, overlapping with two heads, one seen en face and the other in profile, and the bird to its left. The leaves scattered around the sheet are characteristic of the natural world Picabia often incorporated in his Transparences. These images, simultaneously transparent and opaque, are manipulated by Picabia in scale and orientation in such a way as to create a seemingly impenetrable allegory with characteristics of a dream or a mystic vision.

 

Besides natural phenomena, Picabia's Transparences also draw their inspiration from Romanesque frescos and Renaissance painting. Rich in cultural references, they combine their varied images into compositions of great beauty and harmony. Following his experimentation with Dadaism and abstraction, in the 1920s Picabia turned away from the aesthetic of shock towards a kind of 'renaissance', creating figurative images of mysterious, contemplative beauty. Despite the wealth of artistic, cultural and natural references, the meanings of these compositions remain deliberately obscure and ambiguous, and their power lies in their evocative beauty and elegance of execution.