This picture was painted shortly before the exhibition of Picasso’s works in Galeries Georges Petit in Paris in 1932. It was then that the artist decided to open up for the first time and exhibited a few works glorifying his paramour Marie Therese Walter and demonstrating quite a different kind of arts. He met Marie in 1927 and hid his affair for all those years. The girl appeared in his paintings at times only - with delicate hints, barely noticeable details only Picasso’s wife, Olga, was able to see through.
Marie is often painted sleeping or having rest in these works; her prominent Grecian profile is always emphasized, and her athletic build embodies health and fullness of life. Sculpturesque forms are highlighted with smooth lines, and a wealth of clear and contrast colors saturate the image with emotions.
A concept of “a muse” was always quite concrete for Picasso; it was palpable and often embodied in a certain woman. Strong feelings inspired the artist for great creative breakthroughs that had enough energy to make new ideas bloom like flowers. When Pablo met Marie, his spirit of surreal experimenting of the later 1920’s was transfigured into an absolutely new style with his new muse - a harmonious, sensual and very intimate one.
---sold for $36,920,500 at Sotheby’s (14 May 2018)---
16 March Ryan Cantrell from USA wrote: 'What am I looking at? Picasso with a 9-year-old????!!!! FREAK'
03 March Brett from USA wrote: 'What 9yr old signs his work like that. Very interesting.'
25 February Pepe from USA wrote: 'Este es el peor cuadro que he visto en mi vida. Un chaval con 15 años, no puede estar pensando solo en dibujar.'
20 December Jason from USA wrote: 'So I'm an art collector who's stumped. I have a lithograph I can't find anywhere on the internet. I have a large litho ( around 28" tall 23" wide) of Picasso's Mother Child 4 hands study but it's different than any other I've found. Fist off, it's a 3 color litho. It's also on Montvall laid paper on board. The print definitely has age to it but obviously no way to tell how old. I have looked for various water marks but haven't found any. Being laid paper on board makes it difficult. I had originally thought it may be printed in France by La Photolithography L Delaporte. Basically because the size was about the same and the 3 print colors were the same. However, the Mother Child litho doesn't have the information located at the bottom margin of the print like others I've seen. So after all that any thoughts?'
16 December luis from Usa wrote: 'Wow nice and where is the original signed'
02 November samarrajo from levenmouth wrote: 'the measurements of the painting are 163.7cm x 132.1cm making the bread, fruit and table almost life size. A nice detail to add into an art and design exam :)'
19 October Front side tail from levenmouth wrote: 'i think the artwork should be abeled to be viewed from all side :((('
21 September Pascal from New York wrote: 'Like everything, you must study or practice to appreciate. If you have eaten burgers and pizza your whole life, it may be difficult to appreciate sushi.'
16 July steve from USA wrote: 'Breathtaking as everything he's ever done. Rich vibrant colors and sharp visceral angles. Picasso is a master'
28 June Nikolai from Switzerland wrote: 'The painting is certainly impressive, to say the least. But what has always struck me as curious is that none of Picasso's other works from this period are anywhere near as accomplished as this painting. It is a well known fact that at one time it was a common practice in teaching painting, for the master to repaint areas of the student's work. In the case of this painting, I cannot help but wonder how much of it might have actually been painted by Picasso's father.'
14 June Ricardo Lapin from Switzerland wrote: 'How much perversion to treat a couple as if they were an object (a model, "muse", etc.) and be indifferent to painting their suffering over and over again, for years without doing anything to help her.'
24 May byats wurnt from Switzerland wrote: 'I think, when dealing with an abstract piece, one must take an approach similar to reading.
On the right, I can see buildings, a staple of modern life.
Warm colours, may indicate heat?
There's a curtain on the left harlequin.
Now we just have to make sense of it.'