One of the Latest Big-Size Paintings of Picasso

[Pierre Tavlitzki]

Until the end of his long life, Picasso was an inventive and prolific painter. The number of times he changed his style completely over the seven decades of his career is remarkable, and it was always successful.

Painted on 26 August 1971, two months before he celebrated his 90th birthday, "la Femme au Chapeau" (Woman with Hat) is typical of compositions from that time, very colorful, with deformities of the face that meet the cubist tradition. The dominating look of the sitter makes it close from the series of musketeers, from the same period.

This painting is particularly interesting because, with its 1.80 m high, it is undoubtedly the largest of the latest paintings by Picasso. It is the first lot announced by Christie's for the evening sale of impressionist and modern art, on May 6 in New York.

The estimated $ 8 million seems reasonable. Christie's reminds us that they have sold around $ 15 million in 2007 two portraits made a few years before this one, one showing a man with a pipe, and the other a musketeer with a nude.

[Pierre Tavlitzki]

There were two later paintings by Picasso in this sale. Both have been sold around the estimate.

A little lower than the estimate for the Femme au Chapeau, which was the subject of our discussion: $ 7.7 million including expenses.

A little higher than the estimated $ 12 million for a Mousquetaire à la Pipe, 1968, 146 x 89 cm: $ 14.6 million including expenses.