Details

Provenance

(Probably) Acquired circa 1960s

Literature

Werner Spies, Picasso Sculpteur , Paris, 2000, no. 533, p. 417, illustrated p. 381 The Picasso Project, Picasso's Paintings, Watercolors, Drawings and Sculpture. The Fifties II, 1956-1959 , San Francisco, 2000, no. 57-182, p. 171, illustrated Condition Minor surface dirt. Rubbing to patina on bottom and tips of the wings. Minor spots of corrosion in back of head, top of back, and below bird's right eye. There is also minor corrosion inside the bottom identation. Otherwise, very good condition. In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion. NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE. Catalogue Note Picasso's fondness for animals was well-known, and images of cats, goats, bulls and birds appear frequently in his art.  In Life with Picasso , Françoise Gilot writes, "Pablo loved to surround himself with birds and animals.  In general they were exempt from the suspicion with which he regarded his other friends.... The pigeons cooed but the two turtledoves really laughed.  They were small grayish-pink with a darker ruff around the nexk.  Every time we went into the kitchen to eat and Pablo launched into one of his characteristic long semiphilosophical monologues, the turtledoves would be all attention.  Just at the moment he made his point, they would start to laugh" (Françoise Gilot, Life with Picasso , New York, 1964, pp. 144-45). Throughout 1957, the year the present work was conceived, Picasso depicted numerous images of birds in a variety of media, including drawing, painting, lithography, clay, and bronze. Fig. 1 The artist Fig. 2 Pablo Picasso, Les Pigeons , oil on canvas, 1957, Private Collection

Catalog summary

Pablo Picasso Oiseau Inscribed 7.4.57 Bronze, dark brown patina Height: 2 3/8 in. Length: 4 7/8 in. Height: 6 cm Length: 12.5 cm Provenance (Probably) Acquired circa 1960s Literature Werner Spies, Picasso Sculpteur , Paris, 2000, no. 533, p. 417, illustrated p. 381 The Picasso Project, Picasso's Paintings, Watercolors, Drawings and Sculpture. The Fifties II, 1956-1959 , San Francisco, 2000, no. 57-182, p. 171, illustrated Condition Minor surface dirt. Rubbing to patina on bottom and tips of the wings. Minor spots of corrosion in back of head, top of back, and below bird's right eye. There is also minor corrosion inside the bottom identation. Otherwise, very good condition. In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion. NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE. Catalogue Note Picasso's fondness for animals was well-known, and images of cats, goats, bulls and birds appear frequently in his art.  In Life with Picasso , Françoise Gilot writes, "Pablo loved to surround himself with birds and animals.  In general they were exempt from the suspicion with which he regarded his other friends.... The pigeons cooed but the two turtledoves really laughed.  They were small grayish-pink with a darker ruff around the nexk.  Every time we went into the kitchen to eat and Pablo launched into one of his characteristic long semiphilosophical monologues, the turtledoves would be all attention.  Just at the moment he made his point, they would start to laugh" (Françoise Gilot, Life with Picasso , New York, 1964, pp. 144-45). Throughout 1957, the year the present work was conceived, Picasso depicted numerous images of birds in a variety of media, including drawing, painting, lithography, clay, and bronze. Fig. 1 The artist Fig. 2 Pablo Picasso, Les Pigeons , oil on canvas, 1957, Private Collection