Pablo Picasso
Pablo Picasso
Signature with Parisian Association
Beautiful simple autograph by famed Spanish painter/sculptor Pablo Picasso, signed in pencil on 3 3/4″ x 5″ beige card, with important association to art history. The signed card bears a prominent name and address on reverse: 29 rue d’Astorg, in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, and the location of the famed art gallery of Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler and workshop of Picasso’s lover Dora Maar.
Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler was the renowned German art historian, art collector, and one of the premier French art dealers of the 20th century. Kahnweiler became prominent as an art gallery owner in Paris beginning in 1907 and was among the first champions of Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque and Cubism. After returning to Paris from his Swiss exile during World War I, Kahnweiler opened the Galerie Simon at 29 rue d’Astorg, which was named after his partner and financial backer André Cahen, known as André Simon. The business existed from September 1920 until 1940, when it was closed due to World War II.
It was in 1934 that Picasso likely met Dora Maar, his lover and muse, who had just moved her workshop to 29 rue d’Astorg.
1910, Portrait of Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler, oil on canvas
By Pablo Picasso – Website of the Art Institute of Chicago, PD-US
Several paintings by Picasso rank among the most expensive paintings in the world. Garçon à la pipe sold for $104 million at Sotheby’s on May 4, 2004, establishing a new price record. Dora Maar au Chat sold for $95.2 million at Sotheby’s on May 3, 2006. As of 2004, Picasso had remained the top ranked artist (based on sales of his works at auctions) according to the Art Market Trends report.