Lot Essay
Picasso frequently chose to dress his models in the traditional dress of the Arles region. As early as 1937 he had painted Lee Miller, the famous American photographer and mistress of Roland Penrose, in Arlésienne costume. He even once tempted Paul Eluard to dress in the local costume of Arles to be painted by him. In the late 1950s living once again near Arles and attending the bullfights with enthusiasm, Picasso returned to the theme of Arlésienne dress. The present work depicts his mistress and later wife, Jacqueline Roque, in the traditional costume. There are seven other portraits of Jacqueline in similar costume painted during 1958, some titled L'Arlésienne and others simply Jacqueline.