Mrs. Eugenia Errazuraz (acquired directly from the artist)
Gallery Simon, Paris (acquired from the above in 1927)
Dr. G. F. Reber, Lausanne (acquired from the above in 1929)
Private Collection, France
Private Collection, Switzerland

Executed on gessoed paper mounted on canvas. Over the past century, the sensitive gesso has become stained in certain areas and a few small spots of lifting are visible. In these areas, there is evidence of a few generations of restoration, visible to the naked eye. Given the delicate nature of the medium, further restoration is not recommended. The above condition report has been prepared with the assistance of Simon Parkes of Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc. 502 East 74th St. New York, NY 212-734-3920, simonparkes@msn.com , an independent restorer who is not an employee of Sotheby's. For further information, interested parties may speak with a specialist and/or arrange to view the work firsthand.
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.

La Danseuse (together with the following lot, Femme s'habillant), is part of a triptych commissioned by Eugenia Errazuriz, a Chilean collector and close friend of the artist. Errazuriz, described by John Richardson as "Picasso's other mother", first met the artist in 1916. During this time, Picasso was grieving from the death of his mistress, Eva, and emerging from the rigors of his revolutionary Cubist period. The two formed a fruitful and devoted relationship, which lasted until the beginning of World War II.  A leader of fashion, Eugenia was known for her modernist and minimalist sensibilities. The fashion photographer Cecil Beaton stated: "Her effect on the taste of the last fifty years has been so enormous that the whole aesthetic of modern interior decoration and many of the concepts of simplicity . . .generally acknowledged today, can be laid at her remarkable doorstep" (quoted in John Richardson, Sacred Monsters, Sacred Masters, London, 2002, p. 3-4).  It was Eugenia who introduced Picasso to Georges Wildenstein and Paul  Rosenberg, who would become the artist's dealers.

Fig. 1 Pablo Picasso, Mademoiselle Errazuriz, graphite on paper, Private Collection