Fujikawa Galleries Inc., Tokyo (acquired in January, 1976)
Private Collection (acquired from the above in November, 1979)
Acquired from the above by the former owner
Sale: Sotheby's, London, June 22, 2004, lot 490

Christian Zervos, Pablo Picasso: Oeuvres de 1946 à 1953, vol. 15, Paris, 1965, no. 221, illustrated p. 127
The Picasso Project, Picasso's Paintings, Watercolors, Drawings and Sculpture.The Fifties, 1950-1955, San Francisco, 1997, n𝐆o. 52-042, illustrate♌d p. 87

Executed on thick white wove paper, not laid down. The sheet is hinged to the mount in all four corners. There is a 10cm. flattened crease running vertically along the left edge. There is a 2cm. crease at the top edge running towards the figure's head. Apart from some light mount staining along the edges, this work is in good condition.
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.

The present work evokes Picasso's celebrated works from the early 1930s, glorying in the simple beauty of a woman asleep (fig. 1). This group of paintings depicts his youthful mistress, Marie Thérèse Walter. Their relationship was a closely guarded secret, as Picasso was marrried to Olga Khokhlova at the time, and in his sleeping women the artist explored themes of clandestine intimacy, mystery and tenderness.

Executed in 1952, Femme endormie reprises these themes, a beautifully spontaneous evocation of a sleeping nude whose serpentine curves capture both innocence and a fecund sexuality.  The identity of the sitter is not exactly clear since at this time Picasso's relationship with Françoise Gilot was coming to a conclusion and he had met hi✱s new muse, Jacqueline Roque.

Fig. 1, Pablo Picasso, Nu couché, 1932, charcoal on canvas, Private Collection

Fig. 2, Pablo Picasso and Jacqueline Roque in his studio looking at Portrait of Jacqueline on a Rocking Chair with a Black Scarf, 1955 (photo by Edward Quinn)