Lot Essay
PICASSO HAD STARTED TO DEVELOP THE THEME OF A WOMAN DRESSING HER HAIR IN THE SUMMER OF 1906 WHILE IN PARIS. DRAWINGS OF THIS TIME SHOW STANDING NUDES SENSUALLY HOLDING UP THEIR HAIR, OR LETTING IT FALL LOOSELY TO ONE SIDE OF THEIR SHOULDER (J. PALAU I FABRE, OP.CIT., NO.S 1355-1360). THIS IDEA DEVELOPED FURTHER TO A SEATED NUDE AND THEN A KNEELING WOMAN PLAITING HER HAIR, THE RESULTING DRAWING (SEE FIG. 1) AND PAINTING OF WHICH CULMINATED IN FEMME SE COIFFANT.
THE MODEL FOR THIS WORK IS MOST PROBABLY FERNANDE OLIVIER, PICASSO'S MISTRESS AND MAIN MODEL AT THE TIME. IN THIS WORK SHE KNEELS AND TILTS HER HEAD TO PLAIT HER LONG HAIR WHICH FALLS LOOSELY DOWN AT HER SIDE. THERE IS AN INTIMACY AND SENSUALITY ABOUT THE POSE AS THOUGH THE ONLOOKER IS HER MIRROR, OR AS JOHN RICHARDSON SAYS: "OUR EYES ARE THE MIRROR IN WHICH SHE PREENS" (OP.CIT. P. 461)
THIS WORK IS ONE OF THE MOST STRIKING EXAMPLES OF THE DIRECT LINK BETWEEN GAUGUIN AND PICASSO, NOT ONLY IN IT'S SUBJECT MATTER BUT ALSO IN IT'S TECHNIQUE. PICASSO HAD VISITED THE GAUGUIN RETROSPECTIVE AT THE SALON D'AUTOMME IN 1906 AND WAS UNDOUBTEDLY TAKEN WITH GAUGUIN'S SCULPTURE OVIRI (SEE FIG. 2), A PAINTED STONEWARE CERAMIC WHICH COMBINED THE MYTHOLOGY OF THE WOMAN WITH THE MYSTICISM OF THE JUNGLE. ACCORDING TO JOHN RICHARDSON: "THERE IS A SLIGHT IBERIAN LOOK TO THIS FIGURE, BUT OVIRI AND HER CERAMIC PROTOTYPES.... ARE THE MAIN SOURCES FOR FERNANDE'S AIR OF MYSTERY. FOR THE FIRST TIME WE GET AN INKLING OF WHAT PICASSO MEANT WHEN HE SAID THAT HIS SCULPTURES WERE VIALS FILLED WITH HIS OWN BLOOD" (OP.CIT., P. 461).
OVIRI, LIKE MOST OF GAUGUIN'S CERAMICS HAD BEEN MADE IN THE STUDIO OF PACO DURRIO, WHOM PICASSO HAD MET SOME YEARS PREVIOUSLY. AFTER GAUGUIN'S DEATH IN 1903, DURRIO HAD COME TO REGARD PICASSO AS A PROTéGé AND ALLOWED HIM TO MAKE USE OF THE STUDIO AS WELL AS INTRODUCING HIM TO NEW TECHNIQUES. FEMME SE COIFFANT WAS SCULPTED IN DURRIO'S STUDIO AND FIRED IN HIS KILN. DESPITE THE FACT THAT PICASSO LIKED THE MEDIUM OF CERAMICS, EARLY CERAMICS WERE RARE, AND AFTER PICASSO'S DEPARTURE TOWARDS CUBISM IN 1907 DURRIO BECAME DISENCHANTED WITH HIM AND PICASSO WAS NO LONGER WELCOME AT THE STUDIO.
PICASSO SOLD FEMME SE COIFFANT TO THE DEALER VOLLARD WHO CONSEQUENTLY MADE TEN CASTS FROM IT. PICASSO WAS KNOWN TO REGRET THE SALE, PREFERRING AS HE DID THE MEDIUM OF CERAMIC TO THAT OF BRONZE. HIS PROLIFIC OUTPUT OF CERAMICS, FORTY YEARS LATER AT VALLAURIS, IS A TESTAMENT TO HIS PASSION.
THE MODEL FOR THIS WORK IS MOST PROBABLY FERNANDE OLIVIER, PICASSO'S MISTRESS AND MAIN MODEL AT THE TIME. IN THIS WORK SHE KNEELS AND TILTS HER HEAD TO PLAIT HER LONG HAIR WHICH FALLS LOOSELY DOWN AT HER SIDE. THERE IS AN INTIMACY AND SENSUALITY ABOUT THE POSE AS THOUGH THE ONLOOKER IS HER MIRROR, OR AS JOHN RICHARDSON SAYS: "OUR EYES ARE THE MIRROR IN WHICH SHE PREENS" (OP.CIT. P. 461)
THIS WORK IS ONE OF THE MOST STRIKING EXAMPLES OF THE DIRECT LINK BETWEEN GAUGUIN AND PICASSO, NOT ONLY IN IT'S SUBJECT MATTER BUT ALSO IN IT'S TECHNIQUE. PICASSO HAD VISITED THE GAUGUIN RETROSPECTIVE AT THE SALON D'AUTOMME IN 1906 AND WAS UNDOUBTEDLY TAKEN WITH GAUGUIN'S SCULPTURE OVIRI (SEE FIG. 2), A PAINTED STONEWARE CERAMIC WHICH COMBINED THE MYTHOLOGY OF THE WOMAN WITH THE MYSTICISM OF THE JUNGLE. ACCORDING TO JOHN RICHARDSON: "THERE IS A SLIGHT IBERIAN LOOK TO THIS FIGURE, BUT OVIRI AND HER CERAMIC PROTOTYPES.... ARE THE MAIN SOURCES FOR FERNANDE'S AIR OF MYSTERY. FOR THE FIRST TIME WE GET AN INKLING OF WHAT PICASSO MEANT WHEN HE SAID THAT HIS SCULPTURES WERE VIALS FILLED WITH HIS OWN BLOOD" (OP.CIT., P. 461).
OVIRI, LIKE MOST OF GAUGUIN'S CERAMICS HAD BEEN MADE IN THE STUDIO OF PACO DURRIO, WHOM PICASSO HAD MET SOME YEARS PREVIOUSLY. AFTER GAUGUIN'S DEATH IN 1903, DURRIO HAD COME TO REGARD PICASSO AS A PROTéGé AND ALLOWED HIM TO MAKE USE OF THE STUDIO AS WELL AS INTRODUCING HIM TO NEW TECHNIQUES. FEMME SE COIFFANT WAS SCULPTED IN DURRIO'S STUDIO AND FIRED IN HIS KILN. DESPITE THE FACT THAT PICASSO LIKED THE MEDIUM OF CERAMICS, EARLY CERAMICS WERE RARE, AND AFTER PICASSO'S DEPARTURE TOWARDS CUBISM IN 1907 DURRIO BECAME DISENCHANTED WITH HIM AND PICASSO WAS NO LONGER WELCOME AT THE STUDIO.
PICASSO SOLD FEMME SE COIFFANT TO THE DEALER VOLLARD WHO CONSEQUENTLY MADE TEN CASTS FROM IT. PICASSO WAS KNOWN TO REGRET THE SALE, PREFERRING AS HE DID THE MEDIUM OF CERAMIC TO THAT OF BRONZE. HIS PROLIFIC OUTPUT OF CERAMICS, FORTY YEARS LATER AT VALLAURIS, IS A TESTAMENT TO HIS PASSION.