Galerie Louise Leiris, Paris
Stephen Hahn, New York
Acquired from the above in the 1970s

Christian Zervos, Pablo Picasso, Oeuvres de 1965-67, vol. XXV, Paris, 1972, no. 2, illustrated pl. 2
The Picasso Project, ed., Picasso's Paintings, Watercolors, Drawings and Sculpture. The Sixties II, 1964-1967, San Francisco, 2002, no. 65-001, illustrated p. 134

This painting is unlined. The canvas is well stretched and may have been re-stretched onto a more contemporary stretcher since the work was painted. The paint layer seems to be unvarnished but naturally glossy. It does not show any evidence of having been cleaned but it is not dirty. The paint layer is stable and there are no paint losses. The only restoration appears to be one small spot in the center of the left side near the edge. The work is in beautiful condition and should be hung in its current state. The above condition report has been provided by 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.
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.

Painted on New Year's Day in 1965, the youthful exuberance and faint smile of Tête de jeune garçon reflect the sense of renewed energy and optimism associated with the holiday. The attitude of the painting bears particular meaning considering the inordinate amount of stress Picasso was facing at this moment in his life. In addition to being embroiled in a prolonged and futile legal battle to stop distribution of Françoise Gilot's unflattering memoir, Life with Picasso, he was experiencing painful symptoms-- probably related to a stomach ulcer-- which would ultimate🌠ly require major surgery that year.

Given Picasso's dual fixations on health and reputation, it is easy to imagine why, by April of 1965, he slipped into a creative paralysis and was largely unproductive for the remainder of the year. Yet, the present work is a testament to the artist's defiant resolve, boundless spirit and ability to reinvent himself through the act of painting. In spite adversity, Tête de jeune garçon is painted with an extraordinary sense of energy, bearing witness to the vitality and creative urge that characterized Picasso's late years. Not unlike the Mona Lisa, the mysterious smile of the young boy hints at a benevolent knowledge and functions as a portentous talisman during Picasso's time of fear and uncertainty. While most male portraits in Picasso's oeuvre contain some degree of introspection, the almond eyes and thinly arcing brows of this youth clearly suggest a younger version of the artist (see fig. 1). By ꧂representing himself in this way 🔥Picasso sought to, and often succeeded in staving off the traditional limitations of advanced age.

Having gone through many phases of stylistic and technical experimentation, by 1965 Picasso had acquired a confidence of expression and freedom of execution that enabled him to paint works in quick, spontaneous brush-strokes. Rather than ponder over the details of human anatomy and physiognomy, the artist was able to isolate those elements of his subject that fascinated and preoccupied him, and to depict them with a contemporary style and a sense of wit entirely his own. Many related portraits from this period illustrate this confidence to an extreme, with faces emerging from only a few quick slashes and zig-zags of color. In context, Tête de jeune garçon is unusual for the amount of time, attention and🀅 paint that Picasso devoted to the work, building up areas of remarkably thick impasto and taking care to render fully formed, distinctive features. It is a particularly stark and revealing work, perhaps because it was created at a moment of vulnerability for the painter, and though the youth is another fictitious character in Picasso's menagerie, the present avatar ranks among the more intimate mirrors into the artist's self.

Fig. 1  Pablo Picasso, Autoportrait, oil on canvas, 1906, Philadelphia Museum of Art