The original oil canvas of a large-scale portrait by Pablo Picasso of his lover Marie-Thérèse Walter, painted in the critical year of 1932, will be auctioned for the first time next month at the sale of the 20th century evening at Christie’s in New York. The rare $40million work is one of a series of paintings by Picasso that will go under the hammer this season, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the master artist’s death.
Painted on January 18, 1932, Still life at the window has a pre-sale estimate of around $40 million (pre-sale estimates do not include fees), which will be the first batch leading up to the scheduled sale on May 11. Labor is not guaranteed, according to Christie’s.
The painting was held in the artist’s estate, having only been shown twice shortly after being painted. It disappeared from public view for nearly five decades until 1981. The work was originally part of the 10,000 works by Picasso his granddaughter Marina Picasso inherited, which she discharged to fund his charity work. It was later acquired by the late Swiss art dealer Jan Krugier, who had guided Marina in selling Picasso’s art until his death in 2008. The painting was then inherited by Krugier’s descendants, who put the work up for sale.
The work, noted Vanessa Fusco, head of Impressionist and Modern Art at Christie’s and co-head of the 20th Century Evening Sale, was “created at the very beginning of the annus mirabilis“, attesting to” the powerful influence of Marie-Thérèse, and the great abundance of activity that she inspired in her art, from drawing to sculpture, from engraving to painting “.
The year 1932 has been widely recognized as a pivotal year in Picasso’s career. He created more than 100 significant works during that year, including various portraits of the then 22-year-old Walter, the artist’s secret lover while married to ballerina Olga Khokhlova, the grandmother of Marina. The work which will go on sale in May was presented in the famous Tate Modern exhibition 2018 “Picasso 1932: Love, Glory, Tragedy.”
A number of paintings created during this year have won high prices. The iconic Nude, green leaves and bust sold for over $106 million (sale prices include fees) at a Christie’s sale in New York in 2010. Woman seated near a window (Marie-Thérèse) sold for more than $103 million at a Christie’s sale in New York in 2021. Last year, Naked woman lying sold for $67.5 million at a Sotheby’s sale in New York.
Unlike Picasso’s later portraits of Walter, which are generally characterized by warmer colors and the curvaceous body of the woman he was madly in love with, Still life at the window is much more serene and subtle. There is no representation of Walter curves. Instead, there is a profile of her bust seated on what appears to be a block of wood, standing next to a plate of fruit and a pot of plants against the backdrop of an open window. The color palette is rather pale and delicate.
The lithographic version of Still life at the windowavailable in 500 editions, has been traded at small auctions in the past and sold for $2,400 hammer in 2019, the highest price it has fetched, according to the Artnet price database.
Follow Artnet News on Facebook:
Want to stay one step ahead of the art world? Subscribe to our newsletter to receive breaking news, revealing interviews and incisive reviews that move the conversation forward.
