Raphaël et la Fornarina XXIV, pl. 317, from Séries 347, 1968; Etching on wove paper; Signed in pencil Picasso bottom right, dated 8-9-68 in the plate, center; One of 17 artist's proofs aside from the numbered edition of 50; Published by Galerie Louise Leiris, Paris, 1969; Ex. Collection: Marina Picasso (Lugt 3698) with her stamp verso; Framed using two acid free mats, a silver/gun metal wooden exterior frame, and UV conservation clear glass; ed; Size - Plate 5 3/4 x 8 1/4", Sheet 11 x 13 5/8", Frame 17 3/4 x 19 1/2"; Catalogue Raisonne: B. 1797; Ba. 1814.
Close up of the etching.
While discussing his 347 Series with his friend, Roberto Otero, to whom he had shown some of these etchings, Picasso said, “Of course, one never knows what’s going to come out, but as soon as the drawing gets underway, a story or an idea is born. And that’s it. Then the story grows, like theater or life—and the drawing is turned into other drawings, a real novel. It’s great fun, believe me. At least, I enjoy myself no end inventing these stories, and I spend hour after hour while I draw, observing my creatures and thinking about the mad things they’re up to. Basically, it’s my way of writing fiction.” (Roberto Ortero, Forever Picasso: An Intimate Look at his Last Years, New York, 1974, p. 170)
Close up of the Picasso pencil signature.
Six months later, Picasso said the following about the prospective publication of the 347 series to Otero:
“You know, Louise Leiris is about to exhibit my latest engravings. And there’s one series that is quite innocent—I mean, quite natural. Well, you can imagine what they are about: Raphael and La Fornarina—his famous model—making love. Well, there’s no need to exaggerate—it’s not all sex, Raphael is painting in many of them, too—but Michelangelo is also there, spying on them from behind the draperies or under the bed. And sometimes the Pope is peeping through the keyhole, or some other important character is lurking about.” (Roberto Otero, pp. 178-9)
Close up of the date 8.9.68 and the sequence number of the etching made on that day, II.
Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino, known simply as Raphael, was born on either April 6 or March 28, 1483 and died at the age of 37 on April 6, 1520. He was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance and although he never married, in 1514 he did became engaged to Maria Bibbiena, Cardinal Medici Bibbiena's niece. Raphael died six years later without ever having married. He was said to have had many affairs, but a permanent fixture in his life in Rome was "La Fornarina," whose name was Margherita Luti, the daughter of a baker (fornaro) named Francesco Luti from Siena who lived at Via del Governo Vecchio. Raphael painted her nude portrait entitled "La Fornarina (The Baker's Daughter)" between 1518 and 1520 and the work is currently in the Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica in Palazzo Barberini, Rome.
The story of Raphael's legendary love for his model inspired another artist Ingres to paint a portrait (around 1814) depicting Margherita Luti sitting on Raphael's lap as he gazes at the "La Fornarina" portrait painting in progress; having apparently taken a break from his work to make love to his beautiful model. In the background was painted a drawn back curtain revealing a view of the Vatican through the window and behind the easel a hand is holding a copy of Vasari's "Life of Raphael." The man with the book behind the easel is Ingres himself, reading between the lines of Raphael's relationship with his model.
In 1968, Pablo Picasso pays homage to both Raphael, and in particular Ingres, within the 347 etching series. There are no less then 25 works depict the alleged story of the infamous 16th century affair between Raphael and his famous muse. This work for sale is the 24th of the "Raphael and Fornarina" series and depicts a love scene between the artist and his model. While engaged, Raphael clasps his paint brush in one hand and his artists pallet in the other. In addition, the theme of voyeurism is explored; under the bed can be seen, peeking out and watching cautiously, the face of another famous Renaissance artist Michelangelo. In addition, Piero Crommelynck, the Master Printer and friend of Picasso, strolls into the bedroom looking very straight laced has he peels back a curtain and looks onto the scene of eroticism unfolding before him.
Close up of the Marina Picasso collection ink stamp (Lugt 3698).
Pablo Picasso and his first wife Olga Khokhlova had one son, Paulo Picasso. Paulo, who died on June 5, 1975, was married to Emilienne Lotte. They had two children: Pablito (born on May 5, 1949 - and who committed suicide on July 2, 1973) and Marina (born on November 14, 1950). In January 2015 it was reported that the granddaughter of legendary Spanish artist Pablo Picasso, Marina Picasso was selling off a selection of her famous grandfather's artwork, as well as his famous French villa for an expected $290 million. This work for sale is from Marina Picasso's collection and bears her ink stamp (Lugt 3698), and the work is a rare proof from the famed Raphaël et la Fornarina section of the 347 series. The work is hand signed in pencil, but like all of the 17 proofs, it is not numbered. This is an extraordinary original Pablo Picasso etching with a Picasso family provenance.
Image of the full sheet.
Framed "Raphaël et la Fornarina XXIV, pl. 317, from Séries 347," 1968 etching by Pablo Picasso.
#Picasso #PabloPicasso #MarinaPicasso #PauloPicasso #PablitoPicasso #OlgaKhokhlova #Ingres #PieroCrommelynck #Michelangelo #RaphaelandFornarina #Raphael #Fornarina #lafornarina #347series #etching #cubism #untitledartgallery #LouiseLeiris #Otero #MargheritaLuti #Vasari #FrancescoLuti #RaffaelloSanziodaUrbino #Renaissance #RobertoOtero #GalerieLouiseLeiris #Lugt #series347 #EmilienneLotte
No comments:
Post a Comment