Francis Picabia

Private Collection, Paris
Private Collection, New York
Acquired from the above by the present owner

This work is in very good condition. The sheet is hinged in two places along the right edge. There is even time staining to the paper. There is a loss to the sheet at the upper left edge, which is covered by the mat. There is a mat staining along the whole of the left edge. The crayon and ink are strong. Minor surface dirt to the left of the composition. The work is insribed "la main" and "1938," most likely by another hand.
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.

Sans titre (La Main) was created circa 1932, at the height of Picabia’s celebrated “transparence” period. Having experimented with the concepts of transparency and photography, he had developed a unique style named for the overlapping of transparent images, often characterized by their melancholic mood and extensive references to antiquity and the Old Masters. Picabia's motivation is particularly complex, as he did not strictly follow the prevailing trend of rappel à l’ordre, the return to figuration which influenced much of the art produced in the 1920s in the aftermath of World War I. His intent was probably fueled by his Dadaist tendencies to rejoice in the illogical and to subvert the traditionally accepted notions in art. In discussing Picabia’s re-interpretation of the art of the Old Masters, critics have compared his paintings to those of Pablo Picasso, often incorrectly characterizing Picabia as Picasso’s follower. Maria-Lluïsa Borràs, however, argues that it was Picabia who pioneered this style: “Picabia was in fact anticipating by over fifteen years the Picasso who was to take as his theme works by Cranach, Altdorfer, Poussin and Courbet—or the Picasso of the fifties who, before the adoring eyes of the specialists, was to transform the works of El Greco, Delacroix, Velázquez and even Manet in ways not fundamentally different from that used by Picabia in the twenties” (Maria-Lluïsa Borràs, Picabia, New York, 1985, p. 292).