.jpg?w=1)
Lot Essay
1967-1968 was the beginning of an extremely creative period in Picasso's long career, following a serious illness which had forced the artist to temporarily cease working. However, after this interruption, Picasso returned with full creativity and humour to his studio, more prolific than ever.
This drawing was executed in January 1967, as the last in a series of four drawings, all made the same day. Executed in the same technique, these large-scale drawings are characterised by the broad application of the wash set against the white of the paper, thus creating dramatic chiaroscuro effects.
The general theme of the series revolves around the erotic encounters of a man and woman, which the artist has depicted with a humorous touch, typical of his late oeuvre. The first two drawings of the series (Z 27, nos. 430 and 431) each shows a nude woman and a man, while the third (Z 27, no. 432) depicts a semi-nude young woman surrounded by three men.
Nu debout, mousquetaire et enfant develops another of Picasso's late theme, the Musketeer, who was to become one of Picasso's favourite personal surrogates during the last years of his life. Recognisable by his elegant courtly costume composed of a ruff and a long, elegant jacket, he holds a sword, a symbol of virility and focus of the drawing. This drawing is among the earliest depictions of this popular character, which Picasso subsequently treated in numerous drawings, paintings and prints.
In his choice of the musketeer, Picasso was probably inspired by Alexandre Dumas's novel Les trois mousquetaires, which he may have read, or re-read during his convalescence. The painter, then eighty-six years old, must have considered this charming and noble character, influenced both by Dutch and Spanish 17th century painting, a highly suitable alter-ego. This theme became pre-eminent over the course of his final years. It nourished extensively his inexhaustible source of imagination and humour, and eventually came to dominate most of his late works.
This drawing was executed in January 1967, as the last in a series of four drawings, all made the same day. Executed in the same technique, these large-scale drawings are characterised by the broad application of the wash set against the white of the paper, thus creating dramatic chiaroscuro effects.
The general theme of the series revolves around the erotic encounters of a man and woman, which the artist has depicted with a humorous touch, typical of his late oeuvre. The first two drawings of the series (Z 27, nos. 430 and 431) each shows a nude woman and a man, while the third (Z 27, no. 432) depicts a semi-nude young woman surrounded by three men.
Nu debout, mousquetaire et enfant develops another of Picasso's late theme, the Musketeer, who was to become one of Picasso's favourite personal surrogates during the last years of his life. Recognisable by his elegant courtly costume composed of a ruff and a long, elegant jacket, he holds a sword, a symbol of virility and focus of the drawing. This drawing is among the earliest depictions of this popular character, which Picasso subsequently treated in numerous drawings, paintings and prints.
In his choice of the musketeer, Picasso was probably inspired by Alexandre Dumas's novel Les trois mousquetaires, which he may have read, or re-read during his convalescence. The painter, then eighty-six years old, must have considered this charming and noble character, influenced both by Dutch and Spanish 17th century painting, a highly suitable alter-ego. This theme became pre-eminent over the course of his final years. It nourished extensively his inexhaustible source of imagination and humour, and eventually came to dominate most of his late works.