Berggruen & Cie, Paris
James Goodman Gallery, New York
Acquired by the present owners in 1990 

Paris, Berggruen & Cie, Picasso Gouaches, Lavis et Dessins 1966 - 1972, 1981, no. 20

Christian Zervos, Pablo Picasso, Oeuvres de 1967 et 1968, vol. XXVII, Paris, 1973, no. 263, illustrated p. 107
The Picasso Project, Paintings, Watercolors, Drawings and Sculpture, The Sixties III: 1968-1969, San Francisco, 2003, no. 68-096, illustrated p. 28 

Executed on cream wove paper. Hinged to a mount at top two corners. All four edges are deckled. Minor surface dirt at extreme edges.
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.

Towards the end of his life, Picasso rebelled against time by immersing himself in his art. The period bore witness to an incredible output of work, executed with remarkable vigor and boldness. Musketeers, acrobats, Pierrots, painters, and heads of smokers continued to populate his compositions. However, when considered in the context of looming mortality, these subjects took on new meanings. Marie-Laure Bernadac writes of the figures from this period, "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" (Bernadac, Late Picasso: Paintings, Sculpture, Drawings, Prints, 1953-72 (exhibition catalꦦogue), London, 1988, pp. 82-83).