Pablo Picasso *
(Malaga 1881–1973 Mougins)
Homme et femme assis à table, 1904, signed, pencil on paper, 21 x 27 cm, framed
Provenance:
Guillaume Apollinaire Collection (according to the certificate of provenance of François de la Taille, Paris)
Lionel Prejger Collection (acquired through Jean-Alain Merric, Paris)
Private Collection, Belgium (acquired through François de la Taille, Paris – certificate of provenance available)
Thence by descent to the present owner
Literature:
C. Zervos, Pablo Picasso, vol. 22, Supplément aux années 1903–1906, Éditions "Cahiers d'Art", Paris 1970, p. 170, no. 477 with ill.
Executed in 1904, shortly after Pablo Picasso settled at the Bateau-Lavoir in Montmartre, Homme et femme assis à table belongs to a decisive moment in the artist's career, at the transition between his Blue and Rose periods. During these formative years, Picasso developed a graphic language of remarkable economy, in which line – at once precise and vibrant – suffices to evoke presence, intimacy, and psychological tension.
The present drawing exemplifies this pursuit of essential form with great sensitivity. Through a delicate network of lines, the artist constructs a scene that appears simple yet is imbued with subtle emotional intensity. The proximity of the figures, their posture, and their silent interaction reflect Picasso's growing interest in human relationships, a central theme in his work of this period.
According to François de la Taille, the female figure may be identified as Fernande Olivier, whom Picasso met in 1904 and who soon became his companion. A key muse of the Montmartre years, she embodies this period of bohemian life, marked by material hardship yet extraordinary creative vitality. The male figure has also been associated with Guillaume Apollinaire, a close friend of Picasso and a major figure of the Parisian avant-garde, although these identifications remain speculative.
In its very restraint, the present work reveals the radical modernity of Picasso's line and anticipates the major developments that would shape the course of twentieth-century art.
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(Malaga 1881–1973 Mougins)
Homme et femme assis à table, 1904, signed, pencil on paper, 21 x 27 cm, framed
Provenance:
Guillaume Apollinaire Collection (according to the certificate of provenance of François de la Taille, Paris)
Lionel Prejger Collection (acquired through Jean-Alain Merric, Paris)
Private Collection, Belgium (acquired through François de la Taille, Paris – certificate of provenance available)
Thence by descent to the present owner
Literature:
C. Zervos, Pablo Picasso, vol. 22, Supplément aux années 1903–1906, Éditions "Cahiers d'Art", Paris 1970, p. 170, no. 477 with ill.
Executed in 1904, shortly after Pablo Picasso settled at the Bateau-Lavoir in Montmartre, Homme et femme assis à table belongs to a decisive moment in the artist's career, at the transition between his Blue and Rose periods. During these formative years, Picasso developed a graphic language of remarkable economy, in which line – at once precise and vibrant – suffices to evoke presence, intimacy, and psychological tension.
The present drawing exemplifies this pursuit of essential form with great sensitivity. Through a delicate network of lines, the artist constructs a scene that appears simple yet is imbued with subtle emotional intensity. The proximity of the figures, their posture, and their silent interaction reflect Picasso's growing interest in human relationships, a central theme in his work of this period.
According to François de la Taille, the female figure may be identified as Fernande Olivier, whom Picasso met in 1904 and who soon became his companion. A key muse of the Montmartre years, she embodies this period of bohemian life, marked by material hardship yet extraordinary creative vitality. The male figure has also been associated with Guillaume Apollinaire, a close friend of Picasso and a major figure of the Parisian avant-garde, although these identifications remain speculative.
In its very restraint, the present work reveals the radical modernity of Picasso's line and anticipates the major developments that would shape the course of twentieth-century art.
Sale price
Estimate
Time, Location
Auction House
