Pablo Picasso (1881-1973)

“Colors, like features, follow the changes of the emotions” –Pablo Picasso
One of the most varied surfaces from throughout Picasso’s ceramic oeuvre, this work employs outstanding, colorful decoration and mark-making to the surface, articulating a bearded figure with large, bright eyes and a long, strident nose. This example was conceived at the peak of Picasso’s understanding of the medium after much experimentation and is in the finest condition.

A visit to the New York apartment of Dr. Arthur and Mrs. Anita Kahn provided any visitor with a true celebration for the senses. During a lifetime of collecting, these dedicated connoisseurs assembled one of the most remarkable collections of Pablo Picasso ceramics and works on paper, and postwar American art. From their significant holdings of the work of Alexander Calder to Richard Pousette-Dart’s crowning glory, his 1958 painting Blood Wedding—the collection captures the energy and excitement of this important period. Though the couple came from humble beginnings—he, the son of an immigrant candy store owner, and she, the daughter of a seamstress—their interest in, and admiration for, the creative process led them to be rewarded with a collection that encompassed some of the most important artists of the postwar period. From Alexander Calder to Pablo Picasso, and David Smith to Stuart Davis, their holdings of art demonstrated an astute understanding of the creative process and their sheer joy at the works in their collection.