Galerie Louise Leiris, Paris
Private Collection, New York (sale: Sotheby's, New York, 5th November 2004, lot 306)
Purchased at the above sale and sold: Sotheby’s, London, 20th June 2006, lot 225
Heinz Berggruen (purchased at the above sale)

Paris, Galerie Louise Leiris, Picasso, 1971-1972, no. 71,  illustrated in colour in the catalogue
Paris, Musée Picasso, Picasso/Berggruen – Une Collection particulière, 2006-07, illustrated in colour in the catalogue

Christian Zervos, Pablo Picasso. Œuvres de 1971 à 1972, Paris, 1978, vol. XXXIII, no. 401, illustrated pl. 145
The Picasso Project (ed.), Picasso's Paintings, Watercolours, Drawings and Sculpture, The Final Years, 1970-1973, San Francisco, 2004, no. 72-137, illustrated p. 313

Executed on cream wove paper, not laid down, attached to the mount at all four corners, and floating in the overmount. The sheet is very slightly time-stained and there is some minor surface dirt and small stains in places. There is some very minor staining to parts of the extreme edges from previous mounting. The sheet has been split to separate the present work from a work previously on its verso. The sheet is very slightly undulating in places, inherent to the artist's woking process. This work is in overall good condition.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Tête d’homme was executed on May 31st 1972 with another work entitled Tête et buste d'homme au chapeau on the verso. The sheet has since been split. Here the aging painter playfully depicts himself as a long-haired musketeer, a recurring motif in the final decade of his life. His mosqueteros are humorous caricatures and also brutally honest self-portraits, in which he reflects upon Rembrandt’s idea that as we grow older, our lives are etched onto our faces, showing our true nature.