236

Pablo Picasso

Spanish, 1881 - 1973

Les déjeuners IV (d'après Manet), 1961

graphite on paper
dated, inscribed and signed lower right: 1.7.61 / IV / Picasso
inscribed verso: 010102/61093 / NO 2848
12 7/8 x 19 3/4 in. (32.7 x 50.2 cm.), frame: 18 1/2 x 25 1/2 in. (47 x 64.8 cm.)

  • Provenance: The Artist
    Companion to the artist, known as "Marguerite"
    Unspecified Gallery, New York, New York (possibly ca. 1962)
    Private Collection
    By descent in the family, Private Collection, New Mexico
  • Literature:
    Douglas Cooper, Pablo Picasso: Les Déjeuners. Paris: Cercle d'Art, 1962, p. 74
    Enrique Mallen, Online Picasso Project Catalogue Raisonné (OPP), Sam Houston State University, 61:184
    Alan Wofsy, Picasso's Paintings, Watercolors, Drawings & Sculpture: A Comprehensive Illustrated Catalogue, 1885-1973, 28 Volumes, San Francisco: Alan Wofsy Fine Arts, 1995 – 2016, 61:119
    Christian Zervos, Pablo Picasso: Catalogue de l'oeuvre, 33 Volumes, Paris: Cahiers d'Arts, 1932 – 1978, XX:55

    Picasso's Les déjeuners IV (d'après Manet) is a late-career drawing from his 1961 series reimagining Manet's Le Déjeuner Sur l'Herbe. Executed in bold black contour with soft graphite shading on wove paper, it compresses Manet's picnic ensemble into two monumental nudes, emphasizing elastic line, sculptural volume, and erotic play. The inscription "1.7.61 IV" is Picasso's day-by-day notation—1 July 1961, the fourth work completed that day—and the small graphite signature at lower right is typical for the period. As part of the sustained Déjeuners campaign Picasso pursued at Mougins, the sheet exemplifies his practice of treating Old Master icons as open themes for serial variation, merging homage with restless invention.
  • Condition: This work presents in very fine condition overall, having been professionally conserved by Alvarez Conservation Services, New York City. A pre-conservation inspection by Alvarez found the drawing to be stable, with faint surface soiling, moderate paper oxidation from age and light exposure, and minor light-related discoloration along the margins from a previous overmat. A thin, uneven layer of fixative was visible over the graphite under raking light, and scattered foxing was noted throughout. Small brown oil spatter marks were present on both the recto and verso, along with remnants of masking tape on the verso.

    Conservation treatment included surface cleaning with an inert sponge, reduction of the fixative layer, and a controlled bathing process to minimize oxidation and discoloration. The masking tape and adhesive residues were carefully removed, after which the sheet was deacidified with magnesium hydroxide and humidified and flattened between blotters.

    The result is a work that now displays with a clean and luminous surface, revealing the vitality of the crisp, fluid line and soft atmospheric shading characteristic of the graphite medium.

    The work is currently under review by the Picasso Committee, Paris. No concerns are anticipated, as the work is documented in the Christian Zervos Catalogue Raisonné, The Picasso Project volume, The Sixties I and Pablo Picasso: Les Déjeuners by Douglas Cooper, which are cited in the literature references in the listing.


    A condition report for this lot is available upon request and is provided by Santa Fe Art Auction as a courtesy and convenience for potential buyers.

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November 8, 2025 1:00 PM MST
Santa Fe, NM, US

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