Francis Picabia

Private Collection, Paris
By descent to the present owner

The panel is sound. Close examination reveals some miniscule pinhole paintlosses around the edges (notably in the centre of the upper edge). UV light shows some retouching to the contours of the woman's arms; small areas on her forehead, brows and nose; and a tiny spot on her chin. Some small spots also fluoresce in the drawing of a head in the background. Otherwise this work is in very good condition.
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“Picabia painted wonderful women who exude an astonishing sensuality and an indefinable impression that makes us sure they could only have been painted by him.”

Jacques-Henri Levesque, letter to Van Heeckeren, 21th March 1942, following a visit to Francis Picabia at Golfe-Juan

 

The war years were a period of intense artistic creation for Picabia. Based on the Côte d’Azur since 1925, the artist explored the so-called « realist » register, of which this Portrait d’Yvette is one of the most seductive examples. Though the more academic appearance of these new works disturbed certain viewers, the skilful technique of these paintings, their thoroughly modern composition, photography-inspired contrasts and the beauty of their colours bestowed them with a mysterious aura that moved Léonce Rosenberg to declare: “Whatever he does, it is always Picabia”. In order to compose his portraits, he often took inspiration from photographs of the time, reworking and transforming them:  photographs of pin-ups from magazines, movie stars, music-hall scenes or even anonymous images.

In keeping with other canvases from the 1940s, this elegant portrait borrows certain characteristics from photography, notably contrasts of light and shade to highlight the cleanly drawn contours of the model’s face. In Portrait d’Yvette, the painter emphasises the fragility and melancholic charm of the model who stands out against a richly decorated background, creating a picture of extraordinary chromatic richness. The delicate, exaggeratedly long fingers, that appear in many portraits by Picabia, give the painting a subtly Mannerist aesthetic, underlined by the effect of the drapery. Unlike most of Picabia’s “realist” paintings that brutally reflect contemporary reality in all its rawness, this very elegant portrait evokes a timeless, poetic quality, infused with mystery.