Galerie Louise Leiris, Paris (acquired from the artist)
Buchholz Gallery (Curt Valentin), New York
Mrs. William A. M. Burden (acquired from the above in 1953 and sold: Christie's, New York, November 12, 1997, lot 461)
Acquired at the above sale by the present owner

Roland Penrose, The Sculpture of Picasso, New York, 1967, illustrations of other variants pp. 140-41
George Ramié, Picasso's Ceramics, New Jersey, 1974, no. 161, illustrated
Marie-Laure Besnard-Bernadac, The Picasso Museum, Paris, Paris, 1985, illustrations of other variants p. 216
Bernard Ruiz-Picasso, ed., Ceramics by Picasso, Paris, 1999, illustrations of other variants vol. I, pp. 524-29 and vol. II pp. 81-82
Werner Spies, Picasso Sculpteur, Catalogue raisonné des sculptures établi en collaboration avec Christine Piot, Paris, 2000,ꦦ no. 403.III, illustrations of other variants p. 373

The sculpture is in excellent condition. A hairline crack was found on each leg which was stabilized with a PVA emulsion adhesive and silk tissue and then inpainted locally. These two mends are no longer visible. The owl rests securely on its ceramic base and is structurally sound. No significant cracks or losses of paint or ceramic were noted on the surface with the exception of several areas of minor paint loss. The following condition report has been provided by Jackie Wilson of Wilson Conservation, an independent restorer who is not an employee of Sotheby's.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

While Picasso was working in the Antibes Museum (Palais Grimaldi), he adopted a small owl with an injured leg that had been found hiding in a corner. Françoise Gilot and Picasso tamed the raptor and brought it back with them to Paris, keeping it in the kitchen of the studio on the rue des Grands Augustins, where they also kept pigeons, canaries, and turtle doves. Françoise describes Picasso's reactions to the owl in her memoirs: "Every time the owl snorted at Picasso he would shout, "Cochon, Merde," and a few other obscenities, just to show that he was even worse-mannered than him, but Picasso's fingers, though small, were tough and the owl didn't hurt him. Finally the owl would let him scratch his head and gradually came to perch on his finger instead of biting it, but even so, he still looked very unhappy" (Françoise Gilot, My Life with Picasso, New York, 1964).  

Executed in 1953, the present work is a magn🌠ificent example illustrating the artist's command over the sculpture medium. The owl, a subject that intensely interested Picasso, appeared in a number of paintings and at least two lithographs, as well as a number of ceramics.

Fig. 1 Picasso in his studio