Exceptional and vibrant color original vintage signed and inscribed oil pastel sketch of a clown in a hat on an off-white 8.25 x 11 title page from a copy of The Private World of Pablo Picasso, signed and inscribed “Pour Jeanne, Picasso le 3.9.58.” In fine condition, with a rough left edge and mild toning to edges. Accompanied by two letters of provenance, one from Charles Ruiz Picasso reads, (translated): “I undersigned, Charles Ruiz Picasso asserts that this dedication is from my father’s own hand.” The second, from Maya Picasso reads, (translated): “I undersigned Maya Picasso. According to me I can certify that the smiling face next to the book’s title, face drawn with several colored crayons dated at the bottom right, dedicated on top left ‘For Jeanne.’ Signed underneath this dedication but a little more to the right is a work measuring 27.8 x 20.8 cm dated 9-3-58 (September 3, 1958) is in addition from my father’s own hand Pablo Picasso. Paris, this Tuesday July 12, 2011.”
By 1958, with exhibitions from Paris to Tokyo and an incredibly successful retrospective at New York’s Museum of Modern Art, Picasso had achieved the highest levels of international fame. His work during this period, though incredibly diverse, often contained many of the same characteristic features: simple imagery, an emphatic use of blank space and bold lines, and a continuous sense of liveliness and energy. Around this time he famously admitted, “It took me four years to paint like Raphael, but a lifetime to paint like a child.” This piece is a delightful example of that childlike whimsy. Revisiting a favorite subject that he had been depicting since his early Rose Period, he draws a clown face with crisp, vibrant colors that jump from the page. The bold graphic nature and simple colors make this piece a classic, and with a growing interest in Picasso’s later work, this original, non-reproduced piece by the revolutionary artist is sure to garner great interest. A truly remarkable piece!
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