Francis Picabia

Jack Shainman Gallery, New York
Ben Sontheimer (acquis du précèdent)
Michael Vital, Europe (acquis du précèdent)
Acquis auprès du précèdent par le propriétaire actuel

The board is sound. There is a thick varnish which appears to yellowing in some areas and a minor network of craquelure. There is some frame abrasion along the edges notably along the left part of the lower edge (not visible when framed). There are some fine repaired tears at the lower right corner. Under UV light, some patches and lines of retouching fluoresce on the left part of the model's face and hair, with some smaller spots in the upper right quadrant and along the centre lower edge. Otherwise, this work remains in overall good condition.
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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."

signed 'Francis Picabia' (lower right), oil on panel laid down on panel. Painted circa 1941-42.

"Picabia a peint des femmes merveilleuses dont émanent une étonnante sensualité et une impression indéfinissable qui font qu’elle ne pouvaient être peintes que par lui." Jacques-Henri Levesque

Peint au début des années 1940, période d’intense création pour Picabia, Tête de femme est emblématique de la période dite "réaliste" de l’artiste. Celui-ci vit alors sur la Côte d’Azur où il s’est installé en 1925 et il inaugure au début des années 1940 une nouvelle série d’œuvres, s’inspirant le plus souvent de photographies de célébrités (actrices, chanteuses de music-hall) ou d’illustrations issues de magazines tels que Mon Paris, Paris Magazine, Paris Cinéma ou Paris Sex Appeal. Dans ses tableaux, Picabia reprend ces images, les recopie puis les transforme, les retouche pour donner naissance à des portraits d’une sensualité envoutante.

Si le modèle du présent tableau n’a pas été identifié à ce jour, la sensualité du modèle, son regard à la fois langoureux et mystérieux, l’éclairage vif modelant les traits du modèle à la manière de ceux d’un studio de cinéma contribuent à faire de cette œuvre l’incarnation parfaite des tableaux "réalistes" de Picabia. Par leur apparence plus académique que ses œuvres antérieures, ces tableaux ont à l’époque pu dérouter certains observateurs. Pour autant, la modernité des cadrages employés, la vivacité des coloris chatoyants, l’habileté technique de ces tableaux leur confèrent un aura et un mystère qui feront dire à Léonce Rosenberg : "Quelque chose qu’il fasse, c’est toujours du Picabia".

Painted during a period of intense creation for Picabia at the beginning of the 1940s, Tête de femme is emblematic of what is termed the painter’s “realist” period. He was living at the time on the Côte d’Azur where he moved in 1925 and he started a new series of works at the beginning of the 1940s inspired by photographs of famous people (actresses, music-hall singers) or illustrations taken from magazines such as Mon Paris, Paris Magazine, Paris Cinéma or Paris Sex Appeal. In his paintings, Picabia reworked these images, copied and then transformed them, retouching them in order to create portraits of captivating sensuality.

Even though the model in the present painting has not been identified to this day, her sensuality her languorous and mysterious gaze, the bright lighting that sharpens and highlights her features like a film star contribute to make this work the perfect embodiment of Picabia’s “realist” paintings. Though the more academic appearance of these new works disturbed certain viewers, the skilful technique of these paintings, their modern composition, beautiful, shimmering colours and skilful technique bestowed them with a mysterious aura that moved Léonce Rosenberg to declare: “Whatever he does, it is always Picabia”.