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Lot Essay
This work is sold with a photo-certificate by Maya Widmaier Picasso, confirming the authencity of the signature.
This work was drawn on the back of a card advertising a Barcelona factory of colours, linen oils and other painting products. This detail suggests a precise date for the composition: as stated by Christian Zervos (loc. cit.), Picasso executed it in 1901 - most certainly in early 1901, before his departure in May for his second stay in Paris, during which he had his successful exhibition at Vollard's gallery, and later commenced the paintings that mark his entry into the Blue period.
The subject anticipates a series of Parisian black sepia ink drawings of January 1903 (particularly Maternité sur le quai, cf. exhibition catalogue, Picasso. The Development of a Genius 1890-1904, Museu Picasso of Barcelona, 1997, illustrated p. 276), but has here a deeper resonance in conjunction with the young Picasso's struggle to leave Barcelona, symbolised by the people on the harbour and the subtle melancholy of their departure. More importantly, the blue wax crayon and the mother and child theme anticipate the epic works of the Blue period.
This work was drawn on the back of a card advertising a Barcelona factory of colours, linen oils and other painting products. This detail suggests a precise date for the composition: as stated by Christian Zervos (loc. cit.), Picasso executed it in 1901 - most certainly in early 1901, before his departure in May for his second stay in Paris, during which he had his successful exhibition at Vollard's gallery, and later commenced the paintings that mark his entry into the Blue period.
The subject anticipates a series of Parisian black sepia ink drawings of January 1903 (particularly Maternité sur le quai, cf. exhibition catalogue, Picasso. The Development of a Genius 1890-1904, Museu Picasso of Barcelona, 1997, illustrated p. 276), but has here a deeper resonance in conjunction with the young Picasso's struggle to leave Barcelona, symbolised by the people on the harbour and the subtle melancholy of their departure. More importantly, the blue wax crayon and the mother and child theme anticipate the epic works of the Blue period.