Pen and ink on paper

Acquired by the present owner circa 2000

Christian Zervos, Pablo Picasso, œuvres de 1939 et 1940, Paris, 1959, vol. X, no. 566, illustrated pl. 171 (titled Dessin à l'encre de Chine)
The Picasso Project, Picasso's Paintings, Watercolors, Drawings and Sculpture. Europe at War, 1939-1940, San Francisco, 1998, no. 40-371, illustrated p. 189 (titled Couple)

Executed on cream wove paper, not laid down, attached to the mount in all four corners and at the centre of all four edges, floating in the mount. Apart from a minor paper infill with associated retouching to the centre right edge, and some very light studio dirt, this work is in good condition.
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Prior to the outbreak of war in September 1939, Picasso moved with his family and new mistress to Royan, flittering back and forth between Paris for the next year to work and attend exhibitions. The combination of living within such close proximity to the mother of his daughter and his new mistress created a highly stimulating environment for him to work. Initially he drew inspiration from Dora Maar, resulting in a number of female nudes and skull-like studies of heads. However, on 2nd May 1940, he reverꦡted to a subject associated with Marie-Thérèse Walter: a couple making love.

The present work is one of three drawings he made on the same day and is by far the most provocative of the group (see previous lot for another of the drawings executed on this day). The couple are passionately embraced in a scene underlined by instinct, a theme previously explored by Picasso in his depictions of the Minotaur (fig. 1). Indeed, Picasso drew ᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚmany parallels between himself and the mythical beast, regarding h🍃is alter ego as being bull like in character, a personality torn between dark and light, good and bad, half man, half beast.

Fig. 1, Pablo Picasso, Minotaure violant une femme, Boisgeloup, 28 juin 1933, Paris, Musée Picasso.