Green leaves and bust. Pablo Picasso: painting records in London

Newspaper The The Times recognized him in 2009 the best artist among those who lived over the past 100 years. Picasso's paintings rank first in terms of "popularity" among thieves and break all records for sales at auctions. By the way, just recently, in May of this year, one of his paintings again topped the list of the most expensive works of art - it was sold for an unprecedented 179.3 million dollars!

Algerian women, 1955

Sold for $179.3 million. 05/11/2015

Picasso created a series of paintings ALGERIAN WOMEN based on famous painting Eugene Delacroix 1834. There are 15 variations in total, which are indicated in alphabetical order as Version A-O. In 1956, a year after it was written, the whole thing was bought for $212 thousand by Victor Ganz, a famous collector contemporary art. Eleven works from the Algerian Women series were sold by Sally and Victor Ganz during the latter’s lifetime - to museums and private hands, and the remaining four works, including the final Version O, were sold after the death of both Ganz. In particular, the painting Women of Algeria, Version O, went for $32 million. In May 2015, the painting was again put up for auction at Christie's, and this time it broke all records - it was sold for $179 million, becoming the most expensive painting by Picasso, as well as the most the world's most expensive work of art ever sold at auction.

Nude, green leaves and bust, 1932

sold for $106.5 million 05/05/2010

One of the famous series surreal paintings 1932, in which Pablo Picasso intricately transformed his new lover Marie-Therese Walter.

A series of portraits of the sleeping Marie-Thérèse as the goddess of sex and desire was made by the artist in secret from his wife, Olga Khokhlova, while staying with a friend in Boisgelou near Paris.

In 1936, the painting was purchased by New York dealer Paul Rosenberg, after which in 1951 it was sold privately to American developer Sidney F. Brody.

Following Brody's death, the painting was put up for auction by Christie's in March 2010 and subsequently sold to an unknown collector for $106,482,500 (including auctioneers' premium). At that time, it became the most expensive work of art ever sold at auction.

Boy with a pipe, 1905

sold for $104.1 million 05/04/2004

A painting painted in the Bateau-Lavoir hostel in Montmartre by the 24-year-old artist Pablo Picasso in 1905, during the so-called rose period of his work. It depicts an unknown boy wearing a wreath of roses and holding a pipe in his left hand.

Portrait for a long time served as the “highlight” of the collection of the American collector J. Whitney. During the sale of the collection in 2004, “Boy with a Pipe” was sold at Sotheby’s for a then-record price of $104 million, breaking the 15-year-old record of Van Gogh’s “Portrait of Doctor Gachet.”

This record lasted 6 years, until May 2010.

Dora Maar with a cat 1941

Sold for $95.2 million. 05/03/2006

Dora Maar, who for almost ten years was the artist's muse, model and lover. The portrait was painted in 1941 in Picasso’s studio on the Rue des Grands Augustins in German-occupied Paris, when the relationship between the lovers had already begun to crack. Picasso used this abstract portrait as a means of expressing his inner feelings. Later artist admitted that during the period of painting Dora became for him “the personification of war.”

In 1946, the first owner of the portrait of “Dora Maar with a cat” was the influential Parisian dealer Pierre Collet. In 1947, leading Chicago collectors Lee and Mary Block bought the portrait from Pierre Collet. According to Block's oral statements, he paid $15,000. On July 1, 1963, another Chicago couple, Adele and Willard Gidwitz, became the owners. After this, the picture was not shown to the public for about 40 years. And so on May 3, 2006, the Sotheby's auction house put the portrait up for sale with an estimated value of $50 - $70 million. Exceeding all expectations, the portrait of "Dora Maar with a cat" was auctioned for $95,216,000. The lucky one was the Georgian political and statesman Bidzina Grigorievich Ivanishvili.

Bust of a woman (woman in hairnet), 1938

sold for $67.4 million. 05/11/2015

This very bright and colorful portrait of Dora Maar was painted by Picasso at the height of their relationship in Paris on January 12, 1938.

Picasso’s reaction to her nervous character overlapped with the artist’s general feeling of the era of growing pre-war sentiments, and then the nightmares of war - and such a phenomenon as the broken, distorted images of Dora appeared in the history of art.

The life history of the painting could not be found. We only know that it was sold at auction in New York in May of this year for more than $67 million.

How far I am from high art December 3rd, 2015

In first place in terms of value is Picasso’s painting “Women of Algeria” - $179.3 million. (center)

Munch's famous "The Scream" has already slipped to 4th place - $119.9 million (right)

If we talk about closed auctions, the record-breakingly expensive painting is “When is the wedding?” Paul Gauguin - $300 million (left)

Here are some more sales record holders...

Pablo Picasso- “Nude, green leaves and bust". Sold for $106 million, 05/05/2010.

One of the famous series of surrealist paintings from 1932, in which Pablo Picasso intricately transformed his new lover Marie-Thérèse Walter.

Andy Warhol - "Silver Car Crash". Sold for $105 million, 11/13/2013

The painting measures 2.4 meters in length and 4 meters in height and consists of two parts. On the left side of the canvas, the artist silk-screened 15 photographs of a car crashing into a tree. Right part The paintings have not been exhibited for the past 13 years.

Pablo Picasso- “Dora Maar with a cat”. Sold for $95 million, 05/03/2006.

The union of Maar and Picasso was not sentimental and romantic, it was a union of two intellectuals and artists. In a sense, this is a clash of two extraordinary characters. Because of this, Dora's portraits were always as distorted as possible - sharp angles and dark shades.

Francis Bacon- "Triptych". Sold for $86 million, May 2008.

This is the last of a whole series similar works, which the artist dedicated to his beloved George Dyer. Much more often, Bacon places his characters in a closed space, limited by four walls. But the most recognizable features of his painting are also here - exaggerated and distorted forms that cease to resemble human bodies.

Paintings sold privately.

Jackson Pollock- “No. 5”. Sold for $140 million, November 2, 2006.

Pollock always emphasized that he never used the usual tools of a painter - an easel, a palette and a brush. He most often preferred to use sticks, scoops, knives, pouring paint, broken glass. The artist also knows very well and applies in his work sand painting- the ritual custom of the Navajo Indians to create pictures using sand.

Willem de Kooning - « Woman III» . Sold for $137 million, 08/14/2006.

This work is one of a series made by Kooning between 1951 and 1953, and the last in private hands. Central theme series - woman.

Andy Warhole- "Eight Elvises". Sold for $100 million, October 2008.

It reflected all the favorite themes of its creator: fame, monotonous repetition of the same images, the threat of death. It was created in 1963 - a period that is considered the most valuable by collectors of Warhol's works.
In fact, you can collect many more such million-dollar creations, including the following, for example:

Title, English: Nude, Green Leaves and Bust.
original name: Nu au Plateau de Sculpteur.
Year of ending: 1932.
Dimensions: 162 × 130 cm.
Technique: Oil on canvas.
Location: London, Tate Gallery

The thirties are the sexiest period in Picasso's work, which serves as a complete and truthful diary of his emotional state. It was at this time that he was influenced by passion for a new mistress, who was much younger than himself - the Frenchwoman Marie-Therese Walter. They met in 1927 in Paris. Officially, the artist was married to Olga Khokhlova, and Maria Teresa was a consolation from the dull and irritated situation. Picasso tried his best to hide his mistress both in art and in life, but the canvases gave him away - they began to dominate the paintings smooth lines, with its softness reminiscent of the still girlish rounded features of Maria Teresa. Walter was very important to him because she was the embodiment of a dream and fueled his creativity, while the reality personified in Olga did not provide any pleasure. Many years later, Picasso would say that “this woman was only mine, she had a soul that I endowed her with.” She brought into the artist’s life a sense of risk, surrealism, masquerade and contributed to the manifestation of his carnal instincts. Marie-Thérèse did not enter into Picasso's social or intellectual life in any way. Blonde Walter was sensual, carefree and happy by nature - unlike Olga, whom Pablo portrayed during this period as a terrible witch with sharp teeth and a distorted body. To celebrate this unimaginable passion, Picasso paints Walter again and again, usually depicting her naked, twisted, sexually available. During the eight years of this love affair, her image was embodied in painting, drawing, sculpture and engraving. Having fallen in love with Picasso, the girl was ready to forgive him everything: her unstable position as a mistress, his constant affairs and adventures. The relationship between the artist and the muse lasted much longer than their love affair: having lost interest in his beloved, Pablo continued to support her financially. And for Walter herself, a casual street acquaintance turned into the love of her life and, even having lost her status as a mistress, she tried to maintain a relationship with him, secretly hoping that sooner or later the artist would marry her, but this never happened. 4 years after Picasso's death ex-lover hanged herself in the garage of her house.

"Nude, green leaves and bust" is considered the most important work Picasso's art in the period between the two world wars and is undoubtedly one of best paintings 1932. It was completed by March 8 during the lovers' stay in Boisgeloup near Paris, and in June of the same year it was exhibited at the Georges Petit Gallery. This painting is very detailed, while uniting and coordinating the pictorial ideas and emotional themes raised by Picasso. “Nude, Green Leaves and Bust” is undoubtedly the most complex and mysterious in the series of works with Marie-Theresa. The work seems to reflect the intense and delicate human triangle that he created in his personal life. You can return again and again to this fascinating picture to think about it hidden meanings and the relationships between its many parts. The image of the mythical Daphne characterizes her calm personality and natural beauty. The sitter's skin is an extraterrestrial lavender hue, and her hands are placed under her head, mirroring the plants above her. Picasso imagines Marie-Therese as a beneficent and cherished muse, as a goddess of sex and desire who reclines before him in a deep ecstatic sleep; her body is accessible and submissive to touch, while the inner flow of thoughts remains elusive and mysterious. He watches over and protects his beloved, while simultaneously subjecting her to the necessary sacrificial rites of the painter - the desire to possess and transform her into art. The second element of the canvas is the statue of Maria Teresa in the form of a rocky Greek bust at the stand. In contrast to the smoothness of the unmasked lover's body, the bust is painted with a thick layer of paint, imitating the texture of plaster, and appears as a three-dimensional statue. The third element is the philodendron plant. It is located in the background. but it seems to spring from the fertile and ripened body of Marie-Theresa. This sleeping woman seems to expand and open like a growing flower within the elastic cocoon of her skin, and philodendron leaves grow from her chest, as if she is a goddess of the plant kingdom. The folds of the curtain in the background protect the sleeping woman from the light of the new day - the sun in the upper left corner. In addition, the curtain may demonstrate the precautions Picasso took to hide Marie-Thérèse from Olga and from the curiosity of most except a few of his closest friends. The dark blue tone creates a nocturnal environment in which the bust takes on the magical qualities of a floating, bright moon ball, and Marie-Theresa appears like a slumbering lunar maiden. Near the elbow of his mistress, Picasso depicted a plate of apples - a symbol of temptation and original sin. There is a figure in the painting that is not obvious at first glance, but is soon revealed in the form of a dark profile, between the bust and the leaves of the plant - expressing the presence of Picasso himself next to his beloved. He watches and protects his companion, emphasizing the importance of the mystery of their illicit relationship. The artist's phantom presence symbolizes that he has control over his love object. The enigma of this shadow is tied to another aspect of the painting - to two vertical black stripes that run along the neck and waist of Marie-Theresa, sometimes hiding, sometimes coming to the fore. The right ribbon runs up the naked body and then curls around the bust, uniting life and art into a single whole in an allegorical way. Each strip follows a different course - the one on the right forms a large English "P" as it creates a loop around the stone statue; the left stripe circles around Marie-Theresa's upturned arms and head, creating a second "P". Consequently, both initials of the artist are inverted in the painting. The nude model's fingers are placed under her head, the italic letter "M" can be traced in them, and the "W" is visible in the genital cleft. Thus, Picasso puts his initials on her body, depicts dominance over his passion and proclaims her influence on the artist’s art. This is confirmed by the words that Picasso said to her at the time of their first encounter in 1927: “Together we will accomplish great things! "

In 1936, “Nude” was purchased from Picasso by his personal art dealer Paul Rosenberg. Started Second World War forced him to close his Paris gallery and flee to New York. And so in May 1940, the dealer hid his shares and his extensive private collection in several places. Unfortunately, some of the shelters were looted by the Nazis, but the warehouse where “Nude, Green Leaves and Bust” was kept was preserved and remained untouched. After re-opening gallery, January 2, 1951, Rosenberg sells the painting to the Brody family, collectors from Los Angeles, for $17,000 (other sources for $19,800). Since then, it has been in private family ownership and collectors have refused to display the work, making an exception only once - in 1961, on Picasso’s 80th birthday. The Brodys were so in love with this painting that they even forbade museum curators and photographers from taking color photographs of the work. Following their deaths, Nude, Green Leaves and Bust was sold by Christie's on May 4, 2010 for $106,482,500 (including auctioneers' premium). Although the name of the lucky winner was not officially disclosed, Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich is considered among the most likely buyers. The fact that Picasso's painting went for such a high price can be considered unexpected - the estimated cost varied between 70-90 million dollars. Thus, the price of the painting has increased more than 5,300 times over six decades. In 2011, the owner agreed to exhibit "Nude" on public display in art museum London Tate Britain (the painting is loaned to the museum for a period of 2 years).

original name

Year of graduation: 1932.

Dimensions

Technique

Location

Picasso's work in the 30s

The thirties are the sexiest period in Picasso's work, which serves as a complete and truthful diary of his emotional state. It was at this time that he was influenced by passion for a new mistress, who was much younger than himself - the Frenchwoman Marie-Therese Walter. They met in 1927 in Paris. Officially, the artist was married to Olga Khokhlova, and Maria Teresa was a consolation from the dull and irritated situation. Picasso tried his best to hide his mistress both in art and in life, but the canvases gave him away - smooth lines began to dominate in the paintings, their softness reminiscent of the still girlish rounded features of Marie-Theresa. Walter was very important to him because she was the embodiment of a dream and fueled his creativity, while the reality personified in Olga did not provide any pleasure. Many years later, Picasso would say that “this woman was only mine, she had a soul that I endowed her with.” She brought into the artist’s life a sense of risk, surrealism, masquerade and contributed to the manifestation of his carnal instincts. Marie-Thérèse did not enter into Picasso's social or intellectual life in any way. Blonde Walter was sensual, carefree and happy by nature - unlike Olga, whom Pablo portrayed during this period as a terrible witch with sharp teeth and a distorted body. To celebrate this unimaginable passion, Picasso paints Walter again and again, usually depicting her naked, twisted, sexually available. During the eight years of this love affair, her image was embodied in painting, drawing, sculpture and engraving. Having fallen in love with Picasso, the girl was ready to forgive him everything: her unstable position as a mistress, his constant affairs and adventures. The relationship between the artist and the muse lasted much longer than their love affair lasted: having lost interest in his beloved, Pablo continued to support her financially. And for Walter herself, a casual street acquaintance turned into the love of her life and, even having lost her status as a mistress, she tried to maintain a relationship with him, secretly hoping that sooner or later the artist would marry her, but this never happened. 4 years after Picasso’s death, his former lover hanged herself in the garage of her house.

The most important work of the period between the two world wars

"Nude, Green Leaves and Bust" is considered Picasso's most important work of art between the two world wars and is undoubtedly one of the best paintings of 1932. It was completed by March 8 during the lovers' stay in Boisgeloup near Paris, and in June of the same year it was exhibited at the Georges Petit Gallery. This painting is very detailed, while uniting and coordinating the pictorial ideas and emotional themes raised by Picasso. “Nude, Green Leaves and Bust” is undoubtedly the most complex and mysterious in the series of works with Marie-Theresa. The work seems to reflect the intense and delicate human triangle that he created in his personal life. One can return again and again to this fascinating painting to ponder its hidden meanings and the relationships between its many parts.

Description of the picture

The image of the mythical Daphne characterizes her calm personality and natural beauty. The sitter's skin is an extraterrestrial lavender hue, and her hands are placed under her head, mirroring the plants above her. Picasso imagines Marie-Therese as a beneficent and cherished muse, as a goddess of sex and desire who reclines before him in a deep ecstatic sleep; her body is accessible and submissive to touch, while the inner flow of thoughts remains elusive and mysterious. He watches over and protects his beloved, while simultaneously subjecting her to the necessary sacrificial rites of the painter - the desire to possess and transform her into art. The second element of the canvas is the statue of Maria Teresa in the form of a rocky Greek bust on a stand. In contrast to the smoothness of the unmasked lover's body, the bust is painted with a thick layer of paint, imitating the texture of plaster, and appears as a three-dimensional statue. The third element is the philodendron plant. It is located in the background. but it seems to spring from the fertile and ripened body of Marie-Theresa. This sleeping woman seems to expand and open like a growing flower within the elastic cocoon of her skin, and philodendron leaves grow from her chest, as if she is a goddess of the plant kingdom. The folds of the curtain in the background protect the sleeping woman from the light of the new day - the sun in the upper left corner. In addition, the curtain may demonstrate the precautions Picasso took to hide Marie-Thérèse from Olga and from the curiosity of most except a few of his closest friends. The dark blue tone creates a nocturnal environment in which the bust takes on the magical qualities of a floating, bright moon ball, and Marie-Theresa appears like a slumbering lunar maiden. Near the elbow of his mistress, Picasso depicted a plate of apples - a symbol of temptation and original sin. There is a figure in the painting that is not obvious at first glance, but is soon revealed in the form of a dark profile, between the bust and the leaves of the plant - expressing the presence of Picasso himself next to his beloved. He watches and protects his companion, emphasizing the importance of the mystery of their illicit relationship. The artist's phantom presence symbolizes that he has control over his love object. The enigma of this shadow is tied to another aspect of the painting - to two vertical black stripes that run along the neck and waist of Marie-Theresa, sometimes hiding, sometimes coming to the fore. The right ribbon runs up the naked body and then curls around the bust, uniting life and art into a single whole in an allegorical way. Each strip follows a different course - the one on the right forms a large English "P" as it creates a loop around the stone statue; the left stripe circles around Marie-Theresa's upturned arms and head, creating a second "P". Consequently, both initials of the artist are inverted in the painting. The nude model's fingers are placed under her head, the italic letter "M" can be traced in them, and the "W" is visible in the genital cleft. Thus, Picasso puts his initials on her body, depicts dominance over his passion and proclaims her influence on the artist’s art. This is confirmed by the words that Picasso said to her at the time of their first encounter in 1927: “Together we will accomplish great things!”

The fate of the painting

In 1936, “Nude” was purchased from Picasso by his personal art dealer Paul Rosenberg. The outbreak of World War II forced him to close his Paris gallery and flee to New York. And so, in May 1940, the dealer hid his shares and his extensive private collection in several places. Unfortunately, some of the shelters were looted by the Nazis, but the warehouse where “Nude, Green Leaves and Bust” was kept was preserved and remained untouched. After the gallery reopened, on January 2, 1951, Rosenberg sold the painting to the Brody family, collectors from Los Angeles, for $17,000 (other sources for $19,800). Since then, it has been in private family ownership and collectors have refused to display the work, making an exception only once - in 1961, on Picasso’s 80th birthday. The Brodys were so in love with this painting that they even forbade museum curators and photographers from taking color photographs of the work. Following their deaths, Nude, Green Leaves and Bust was sold by Christie's on May 4, 2010 for $106,482,500 (including auctioneers' premium). Although the name of the lucky winner was not officially disclosed, Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich is considered among the most likely buyers. The fact that Picasso's painting went for such a high price can be considered unexpected - the estimated cost varied between 70-90 million dollars. Thus, the price of the painting has increased more than 5,300 times over six decades. In 2011, the owner agreed to exhibit “Nude” for public viewing at the Tate Britain art museum in London (the painting was loaned to the museum for a period of 2 years).