Provenance

Galerie Alfred Flechtheim

Flechtheim, Galerie Alfred

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Painted entirely in shades of blue, this vertical scene shows a woman, an elderly man, and a young child standing close to each other near the edge of gently lapping waves. All three people have gray complexions tinged with blue, are barefoot, and their features, clothing, and bodies are outlined. To our left, the woman’s back is to us, and her face is turned in profile to our right as she looks down at the ground. Her navy-blue, nearly black hair is pulled up in a loose bun. She wears a deep ocean-blue shawl over a long skirt that covers her entire body except for bare toes peeking out under the hem. The form of the shawl protrudes a bit on the right as if she holds her arm across her body. The slightly taller man stands across from her to our right with his body mirroring the woman’s. He crosses his arms tightly across his chest as he gazes down in profile. The eye we can see is deeply shadowed, and his hands are tucked into his elbows. He has a beard and short, dark hair with streaks of sky blue. His long, marine-blue shirt blends into his pants, which are cut off at the ankles. Unlike the woman, he stands with the weight on one foot, the other knee bent. To our right and in front of the man, the child stands facing our left in profile. He has short, dark hair, and he looks toward the woman. He touches or gestures near the man’s thigh with his right hand, farther from us, and holds his other out in front of his waist. His shawl has a reddish tint, which contrasts with his ankle-length, stone-blue pants. The trio stands on aquamarine-tinted sand before gentle waves along a shoreline. In the top third of painting, the sky is a block of celestial blue. The artist signed his name, “Picasso,” in a dark blue in the lower right corner and dated the painting, “1903” in the upper right.
Pablo Picasso, The Tragedy, 1903, oil on wood, Chester Dale Collection, 1963.10.196

The Tragedy

Pablo Picasso · 1903 · oil on wood ·  Accession ID  1963.10.196

A young, nude girl is roughly modeled and cast with bronze-colored copper alloy in this free-standing sculpture. Her body is angled to our left in this photograph. Her weight rests on her left foot and her other leg extends long, the foot turned out at an angle. Her hands are clasped behind her back, and her round belly projects from her swayed hips. Her head is tipped back so her chin is lifted. Her eyes are closed, and her thin lips are set in a line. Light glints off the surface of the copper in some areas, especially on the cheek closer to us and the front of her shoulder. She stands on a rectangular base. The work is stamped on the top of the base in the front left corner, “Degas.”
Edgar Degas, Study in the Nude of Little Dancer Aged Fourteen (Nude Little Dancer), original wax c. 1878-1881, cast 1920/1926, copper alloy, Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon, 1985.64.67

Study in the Nude of Little Dancer Aged Fourteen (Nude Little Dancer)

Edgar Degas · original wax c. 1878-1881, cast 1920/1926 · copper alloy ·  Accession ID  1985.64.67

Rounded and angular shapes are painted with areas of mottled white, tan, gray, and brown in this abstracted, oval still-life painting. The shapes would be difficult to interpret without the painting's title, which is "A Glass on a Table." A white shape with a rounded bowl, an angled stem, and flaring foot could be the glass. Other objects are layered behind it, but it is hard to tell if we look down onto a table or into a cabinet, or both. A white rectangle to our left could be a folded newspaper.
Pablo Picasso, A Glass on a Table, 1913, oil on canvas, Corcoran Collection (Gift of Ingrid and Morton Leeds), 2014.136.164

A Glass on a Table

Pablo Picasso · 1913 · oil on canvas ·  Accession ID  2014.136.164

This painting shows vague shapes made of intersecting and curving lines. In the center, two stylized human figures in suits and hats are depicted sitting next to each other. The man on the right has a peach-colored head, while the man on the left has a gray head. Neither of them has distinct facial features. In front of them is a large, seated animal that resembles a brown bull or a cow, its head facing the left. On either side of the men are tall, smooth green shapes that are similar to trees. Behind them, red, black, and white geometric patterns suggest buildings.
Fernand Léger, Animated Landscape (Paysage animé, 1er état), 1921, oil on canvas, Gift of Carroll Janis and Donna Seldin Janis, 2008.126.1

Animated Landscape (Paysage animé, 1er état)

Fernand Léger · 1921 · oil on canvas ·  Accession ID  2008.126.1

Bibliography

1987

  • Alfred Flechtheim, Sammler, Kunsthändler, Verleger. Exh. cat. Kunstmuseum Düsseldorf, 1987