Galerie Michelangelo, Las Vegas
Dr. Kent Lehman, USA
Sale: Christie's, New York, 15th May 1997, lot 446
Hilde Gerst Gallery, New York

Christian Zervos, Pablo Picasso, œuvres de 1964, Paris, 1971, vol. 24, no. 158, illustrated pl. 58
The Picasso Project, Picasso's Paintings, Watercolours, Drawings and Sculpture: The Sixties II, 1964-1967, San Francisco, 2002, no. 64-152, i🐻llustrated p.💫 47

Very good condition. This work is taped to the mat at all four corners and the center of all the edges. There is some very tiny faint fox marks scattered throughout. And the paper itself has some dark flecks, which are inherent to its composition. The paper tone is slightly darkened around the edges. The crayon is bright and the work is more vibrant in person.
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.

In 1963 Picasso began working on themes related to  the artist and model that would occupy him for the rest of his life. As Marie-Laure Bernadac notes, 'with their bearded, elongated faces, their huge questioning eyes, their long hair with or without hats, these Heads represent one last concession on the painter's part to the 'all too-human'. By contrast with the musketeers who all have the same face - these are true portraits, strongly characterized and individual'. She continues, 'Picasso's confrontation with the human face, which makes him into the great portrait-painter of the twentieth century, brings him back to a confrontation with himself, the painter, young or old' (M.-L. Bernadac, Late Picasso: Paintings, Sculpture, Drawings, Prints, 1953-72, (exhibition catalogue), London, 1988, pp. 82-3).