553 - Pablo Picasso (1881 Málaga – Mougins near Cannes 1973)

Pablo Picasso (1881 Málaga – Mougins near Cannes 1973) Woman in an Armchair No. 1 (The Polish Coat) Lithograph on chamois-colored Arches vellum. (1949). Approx. 69.5 x 54.5 cm (sheet size approx. 76 x 56.5 cm). One of 50 numbered copies. Signed lower right. Mourlot 134 III (of III, 3rd state of the reprint from Jan. 16, 1949); Bloch 586 III (final state); Rau 386. Published by Galerie Louise Leiris, Paris. • Created during Picasso’s intensive exploration of lithography at the Mourlot studio • Françoise Gilot is wearing the characteristic “Manteau polonais” that Picasso brought her back from his trip to Poland in 1948 • The later state of the print documents Picasso’s experimental development of the motif through repeated transfer and revision of the composition Picasso continually reworks the portrait of Françoise Gilot seated in an armchair across several states of the print. Particular emphasis is placed on the so-called “Manteau polonais”—a sheepskin-lined, colorfully embroidered leather coat that Picasso brought back for Gilot in 1948 from his trip to Poland. Its wide sleeves and ornamental design shape the composition and serve as the starting point for Picasso’s exploration of form and line. Thus, the print combines a very personal motif with his experimental work in the medium of lithography. Provenance: Private collection, Southern Germany. Taxation: subject to margin scheme (VAT: Margin Scheme).