Lot Essay
A capricious scene filled with life and movement, Nu au filet et arlequin was executed by Picasso on 16 June 1970. By this late period of his life, Picasso confined himself increasingly to his home in Mougins, seldom venturing elsewhere. However, not only did he continue to innovate in his art, but he also kept alive in his imagination a vivid world of fantasy. Nu au filet et arlequin is from a series of pictures in which Picasso explored the lyrical theme of a woman dancing naked in front of a harlequin. This latter character adds a great sense of theatricality to the picture, while the naked woman seems to hint at some fantastic freedom, a freedom that was in great contrast to the artist's increasing immobility and isolation. While the woman dances without reserve in the majority of the works from this series, in the present work, the harlequin has draped a net over her upper body, restricting her ability to move. Despite the net, she continues to move her body, waving her arms in the air and straddling her legs.
The harlequin features in many works throughout Picasso's life, acting in some ways as a manifestation of the artist’s own persona. The mere presence of the harlequin brings with it an air of comedy and entertainment. Although Picasso had used the harlequin to create poignant images during his Blue and Rose periods, contrasting the flamboyant clothing with mournful expressions, here there is no such sense of melancholy. Instead, the harlequin seems to be filled with mock coyness, reveling in the sight of the naked lady and chasing after her.
In his later works such as Nu au filet et arlequin, Picasso was not mourning the loss of his former energy so much as reviving it, if only in pictorial form. When he visualized these lively subjects later in his life, it was not with the intent of torturing himself or bemoaning his old age, but rather as a way of invoking the spirit of the scene. This sense of invocation is as apparent in the subject matter as it is in the vivid and vivacious style with which Nu au filet et arlequin has been drawn. There is an almost violent sense of activity apparent in his application of color. The sense of life in the present work is further enhanced not only by the style with which Picasso has rendered the scene, but also in his use of medium. Picasso had found that colored wax crayons, traditionally associated with the art of children, filled his works with bold color, here made to sing against the muted background.
The harlequin features in many works throughout Picasso's life, acting in some ways as a manifestation of the artist’s own persona. The mere presence of the harlequin brings with it an air of comedy and entertainment. Although Picasso had used the harlequin to create poignant images during his Blue and Rose periods, contrasting the flamboyant clothing with mournful expressions, here there is no such sense of melancholy. Instead, the harlequin seems to be filled with mock coyness, reveling in the sight of the naked lady and chasing after her.
In his later works such as Nu au filet et arlequin, Picasso was not mourning the loss of his former energy so much as reviving it, if only in pictorial form. When he visualized these lively subjects later in his life, it was not with the intent of torturing himself or bemoaning his old age, but rather as a way of invoking the spirit of the scene. This sense of invocation is as apparent in the subject matter as it is in the vivid and vivacious style with which Nu au filet et arlequin has been drawn. There is an almost violent sense of activity apparent in his application of color. The sense of life in the present work is further enhanced not only by the style with which Picasso has rendered the scene, but also in his use of medium. Picasso had found that colored wax crayons, traditionally associated with the art of children, filled his works with bold color, here made to sing against the muted background.