Picasso's "Femme a la montre" sold in Sotheby's for $ 139M

"Undoubtedly, 1932 represents the zenith of fervent intensity and accomplishment, a year characterized by extraordinary masterpieces that attain an unprecedented pinnacle in both painting and sculpture."

In the realm of twentieth-century art, Picasso's evocative portrayals of his beloved and muse, Marie-Thérèse Walter, are preeminent expressions of passion and longing. Created in 1932 during the height of Picasso's fervent romance, Femme à la montre stands as one of the most intricate and definitive representations from this very emotional year.

The exuberant era from which Femme à la montre derives has been characterized by the artist's biographer John Richardson as Picasso's annus mirabilis or 'year of wonders.' In 1932, Picasso labored intensely, always motivated by the presence of his new muse and the need experienced in her absence. Completely engrossed in his obsessive love—the Surrealist concept of an all-consuming desire—each piece from this era resembles a journal entry, chronicling the development of their relationship. Among the artist's 1932 creations, the colossal canvases such as Femme à la montre, which boldly assert Marie-Thérèse's presence, are most highly regarded for their unique significance in Picasso's body of work.

The celebration of Picasso's fiftieth birthday in October 1931 prompted introspection over his legacy. Despite Picasso's recognition as one of the preeminent painters of his era, his principal artistic competitor, Henri Matisse, achieved considerable acclaim in the 1920s for his elaborate Odalisques, whereas Picasso's oeuvre, oscillating between latent Cubist and Neoclassical styles, occasionally perplexed critics. Moreover, the extensive Matisse retrospectives, initially at Galeries Georges Petit in 1931 and subsequently at New York's Museum of Modern Art (the institution's inaugural monographic show), constituted a challenge to Picasso. Some questioned whether the renowned Father of Cubism would soon be consigned to history. Femme à la montre was made during this crucial juncture in Picasso's career.

Sotheby's sold: $ 139,000,000 !

Femme à la montre

signed Picasso (upper left); inscribed Boisgeloup and dated 17 Août XXXII. (on the stretcher)

oil on canvas

51 ⅛ by 38 ⅛ in. 130 by 97 cm.

Executed on 17 August 1932. The last twenty years, the artist ascended from the bohemian milieu of Montmartre to an upscale studio on rue La Boétie, with his marriage to Russian dancer Olga Khokhlova in 1918 further enhancing his bourgeois image. Nonetheless, behind the surface, Picasso had become discontented with both his artistic endeavors and his marriage. In 1927, a fortuitous meeting outside the Galeries Lafayette with the seventeen-year-old Marie-Thérèse Walter initiated one of the most significant romantic relationships of Picasso's life. Upon encountering the young woman, Picasso approached Marie-Thérèse and declared, "I am Picasso!" “You and I shall accomplish remarkable feats together.” (Marie-Thérèse cited in Exh. Cat., Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Picasso and the Weeping Women, 1994, p. 143). Subsequently, the two commenced an affair that would characterize a decade of the artist's oeuvre.

Picasso's obsession assumed near-mythic dimensions, with the image of Marie-Thérèse manifesting over several canvases, sculptures, and papers. The age disparity and Picasso's marriage to Olga necessitated that their connection be clandestine, concealed even from the artist's closest confidants. Consequently, Marie-Thérèse’s identity is concealed in Picasso’s earlier works, shrouded by his Surreal biomorphic interpretations, alluded to in gloomy portraits or subtly indicated in still lifes that disguise the initials ‘MT.’ Françoise Gilot subsequently articulated that Marie-Thérèse represented “the radiant dream of youth, perpetually in the periphery yet consistently accessible, which sustained his artistry…” Marie-Thérèse held significant importance for him during his cohabitation with Olga, as she represented the ideal while the reality was another individual.

Their clandestine affair produced several coded pictures of his partner, ultimately leading to the audacious and sensual portraits of 1932 at the height of their relationship. The compelling combination of his muse's physical allure and sexual innocence profoundly influenced Picasso, inciting a fervent longing for the young woman that resulted in a plethora of pictures acclaimed as the most sensuous and emotionally uplifting works of his extensive career. Enhanced by the illicit nature of their prolonged connection, Picasso's fervent affection is most evident in his 1932 portrayals of his muse. Inspired by Sotheby's Need an art evaluation? www.vwart.com