I am selling this lovely and rare framed original 1950 Picasso pencil drawing from my personal collection.  I acquired this work directly from Christie’s over 16 years ago. 

Artist: Pablo Picasso (born 1881, Spain, died 1973, France)

Title of Work & Date: “Etude pour Compotier avec Poisson”, May 24, 1950

Piece Description & Information: Original pencil drawing on lined white paper, boldly dated in upper left of paper “24 Mai 50” (May 24, 1950).  This work is unsigned (as is typical with many of his study drawings).  Dimensions of the paper are 10-½ inches height by 8 inches width.  It is expensively framed to conservation standards with linen matting, UV plexiglass, and ornate wood molding.  Frame dimensions are 28 inches width by 30.5 inches height.  Image is a study for his ceramic works, and consists of three compotiers (fruit dishes).  Two of the fruit dishes are side views and are thickly drawn, and the largest and central image is an oval plate atop a fruit dish.  In an interesting cubist but functional presentation, the oval plate portion of the fruit dish is rotated to face the viewer, while the lower base portion of the fruit dish is a side view, thus presenting two simultaneous and cubist views of the compotier.  The oval plate consists of a sole type of fish that is smiling while chasing a curved worm on the left side of the fish, and there is a faint fish hook and fishing line attached to worm (this is a bit of a Picasso joke, the fish will get the worm and the fisherman will get the fish).  This drawing would be desirable to Picasso ceramics collectors, particularly collectors of the Picasso ceramic dish titled “Poisson De Profil” (AR# 129-132).  Picasso drawings of his ceramics are quite rare.  

The image of the upper oval plate portion with the fish image is the same as the Picasso ceramic dish titled “Poisson De Profil” (reference: AR# 129-132). a painted and glazed white earthenware dish, dimensions of 9-¾ inches by 13 inches.  It was produced in several editions, one in an edition of 25 which was produced in 1951, and there are different unique hand-painted variants.  The reference book is Alain Ramie, Picasso, Catalogue de l’oeuvre ceramique edite, 1947-1971, Madoura, 1988, numbers 129-132.  The original ceramic mold that Picasso created for this edition would be facing towards the left, just as it is in the drawing.  The image becomes reversed when clay is taken from the mold, and thus the editioned ceramic work has the fish facing the opposite direction.  In the book Picasso’s Ceramics, by Georges Raime, 1974, there are three images of the editioned ceramic “Poisson De Profil” on page 33.  

According to the On-line Picasso Project, this drawing was executed in Vallauris, France (it is known that Picasso was in Vallauris at this time and was working on ceramics and other artworks).   This drawing captures cubist (which Picasso co-founded with Braque) perspectives due to the multiple perspectives of the fish plate being tilted upwards while we see a frontal perspective of the base of the ceramic.  Picasso later created silver compotiers (fruit platters) which had bases similar to the bases in this drawing.  

Picasso expert Professor Dr. Enrique Mallen, Director ON-LINE PICASSO PROJECT, at Sam Houston State University and Texas A&M University in Texas had correspondence with me about this drawing.  He wrote “I find this drawing interesting because it shows Picasso’s mind at work.  As he said quite often, he was more interested in the mental process of creation than in the finished product... I agree with you that this is one of the few preparatory drawings that Picasso made for ceramic plates. Therefore, it is quite valuable form an expert’s point of view.”

Provenance: Chiu Gallery, London, England; Robin Roberts, Bedford, New York (acquired from the Chiu Gallery, possibly in the late 1980s); Christie’s, New York, NY, Property from the Estate of Robin Roberts, Sale 1790, date 12/18/07, lot #442 (this work was illustrated full-page in the auction catalog on page 61). I obtained the work from Christie's in 12/2007.

Exhibitions: This drawing was shown in a television program on the Ovation Network which premiered on 10/19/08 titled “Forbes’ SOLD!”  This one-hour original production discussed various sales in several major auction houses.  One third of the program featured the Christie’s December 18, 2007 sale of the estate of Robin Roberts.  During the program they showed various items from the auction preview, including the six Picasso ceramic plates from the sale and this drawing. This drawing was shown three times during the program.  

References for this drawing: On-line Picasso Project, catalog # OPP.50:097

Certificates of Authenticity that will accompany this drawing (see images of both):

1. Certificate of authenticity from the office of Claude Picasso dated October 22, 2007 about this work, signed by Christine Pinault.  It is two pages, with first page stating in French: “Claude Picasso has examined the work and the documents that you had sent for him concerning the drawing Study for “Fruit bowl (or fruit dish) with Fish."  We confirm this work had been the object of a certificate by the Committee Picasso, number #44 January 21, 1985.  We do not need to duplicate.”

2. Photo-certificate of authenticity from Maya Widmaier Picasso dated March 8, 2008.  Her certificate was completed on the recto of a black and white photograph of the drawing.  She wrote in French in green and red felt-tip pen on the certificate. It stated that the work is a pencil drawing, the measurements of 26.7 by 20.3 cm, and the date of the work. She stated that the work represents studies for plates and has an image of a fish in the plate, which is of the sole type of fish.  She stated that this work was by the hand of her father Pablo Picasso, and was signed in large cursive writing, dated March 8, 2008, and said the certificate was done in Paris. There is a blindstamp of “Maya” on the recto, and on the verso is a small square piece of paper with her fingerprint which is then stapled twice to the certificate.