PABLO PICASSO
Portrait of angel Fernandez de Soto (Amateur absinthe). 1903. Christie's. 23.06.2010. Lot No. 8
estimated the auction (estimate): 30-40 million pounds.

On the evening auction Christie's "the Art of impressionism and modernism", which will be held in London on June 23, 2010, will be exhibited outstanding lot — famous masterpiece painted by Pablo Picasso (1881-1973).

Written by the most influential artist of the twentieth century, "Portrait of angel Fernandez de Soto" (1903) refers to perhaps the most famous — "blue" — period in the works of Picasso. The canvas is estimated at 30-40 million pounds, and the proceeds from its sale will go to the Andrew Lloyd Webber — charitable organization, created by renowned composer in 1992 whose mission is to work for the good of society to promote art and cultural heritage of Britain.

the Painting was exhibited at Christie's auction in new-Йорке in November 2006, but was withdrawn from auction at the request of the seller after 11-часового dispute over property rights arising out-за aspects of the sale of paintings in the 1930-х years. The dispute was settled, and now that a third party has no claim to this picture, the right paintings for sale are entirely those of the Fund.

the Portrait was acquired by Andrew Lloyd Webber at auction in new-Йорке in may 1995 for 29.2 million dollars from the family collection of Stralem funds donated to the Foundation by Lord Lloyd Webber. Since then, the demand for the work of Picasso on the art-рынке increased significantly — more than 10 works were sold at prices higher than this amount, including three paintings, which went under the hammer for more than $ 50 million. In 2004, the painting "Boy with a pipe", referring to "pink period" of Picasso and written just two years after "Portrait of angel Fernandez de Soto", was sold at auction for more than $ 100 million.

Johan Pulkkanen, President of Christie's offices in Europe, Russia and the Middle East: "We are proud to present a masterpiece by Picasso — "Portrait of angel Fernandez de Soto", which will be put up for auction in June on behalf of the Foundation Andrew Lloyd Webber. This is one of the most important works that have recently appeared on the market, and the opportunity to purchase this outstanding work of art of the XX century, of course, will be of great interest from collectors and cultural organizations from around the world. It is important to note that funds raised during this historically significant auction will be given to charities in the arts and cultural heritage of Britain.

the art Market has changed significantly since then, as sir Andrew Lloyd Webber bought the painting in 1995. Collectors have increasingly focused their attention on canonical works of high, Museum quality, and, as we saw last year during the auction, which exhibited the art collection of Yves Saint-Лорана and Pierre bergé, there is a great demand artists at work-модернистов of the twentieth century. Pictures related to “blue period” Picasso and written when the artist was barely 20 years old, paved the way for the great modernist movements of the twentieth century. So this canvas will enjoy great interest and will be able to find their place in any major Museum or private collection. During the London auction in June, this famous masterpiece of "blue period" Picasso, of course, will attract considerable attention".

Picasso said that his works are autobiographical, but none of them is this fact more striking proof than "Portrait of angel Fernandez de Soto", which perfectly illustrates the point of the highest skill of the artist, which he reached during the "blue period", and most fully reflects the aspects of his personal life, and also outlines the circle of his friends. The portrait that angel de Soto is depicted sitting at a table with a glass of absinthe and Smoking a pipe, the smoke from which is flowing in the air, embodies all the aesthetics of "the blue period", and expressed relief at the same time careless swirling strokes reminiscent of the manner of El Greco, and sings the glory of the virtuoso technique of Picasso.

Picasso met angel de Soto in 1899 in the famous cafe "Four cat" (Els 4 Gats) — famous place where artists gathered and where they were frequent visitors in the late XIX — the beginning of the XX century. The meeting made Picasso to return to the way social lion, and the pair became inseparable dandies: with only one pair of gloves for two, each wore one on the hand, while the other hid in his pocket.

the angel and his brother MATEO were artists. Despite the fact that MATEO was a talented sculptor, Picasso more attached to angel — artist, humorist and playboy. It was more drinking and partying than to art, — those Hobbies that has always shared Picasso himself. In the end, angel all-таки served as art before he was killed in the Spanish Civil war: the period of their youth has been immortalized on some of the paintings of Picasso, who captured their antics in the bars and brothels of Barcelona and are now in the Picasso Museum in Barcelona.

This tendency to mirth before the dawn, so much otvlekavshie Picasso and even forced him to move to another Studio, discreetly, but clearly shown in this thoughtful work. The angel is depicted with a glass of absinthe — "green fairy" enjoyed the variety of well-known creative minds of the early XX century, among them Picasso idol — Henri de Toulouse-Лотрек, as well as such artists and writers like Paul Gauguin, Vincent van Gogh, Charles Baudelaire, Arthur Rimbaud and Paul Verlaine. This controversial beverage, famous for its hallucinogenic properties and fears that are called from-за addiction, was a plot canvas of Edgar Degas "absinthe" — the first impressionist painting sold at Christie's (picture was sold in 1895 for £ 189), which is located today in the musée d'orsay in Paris. This drink many considered a source of inspiration, he was constantly present in the works of Picasso — from the "absinth drinker" of 1901 — fabric that is now in the State Hermitage Museum and sculpture before 1914 "Glass of absinthe", which is included in the exhibition of Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris.

angel de Soto and Picasso twice shared a Studio in Barcelona, the second time — during the trip in 1903, when it was created this portrait. The same Studio on the street Riera de San Juan, Picasso had previously shared with my friend — young artist Carlos Casagemas, whose suicide served as the starting point of the "blue period". Once again in 1903 in a familiar environment and surrounded by his friends, Picasso had perfected the aesthetics of "the blue period" that culminated in such works as "Portrait of angel Fernandez de Soto", which introduced a revolutionary, subjective psychological attitude of the artist. Many oil paintings, which depict friends of Picasso during his stay in Barcelona, are in Museum collections: "Portrait of Sebastian Guanta" — in the Picasso Museum in Barcelona, the painting "Sebastian Juner-Видал and a woman in a cafe" — at the County Museum of Los-Анджелеса, "portrait of a lady Soler" — in the Bavarian state picture collection in Munich, "a Portrait of Bennett Solera" — in the State Hermitage Museum in St.-Петербурге, "the Soler Family" — in the Museum of fine arts in liège.

Source: press-релиз Christie's.