The Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art has announced that it has secured a rare drawing by the modernist marvel Pablo Picasso. Executed in 2012, Head is an expert example of cubist meditation from the Spanish artist in its conceptive form, examples of which are few and far between.
The insight such works deliver is extraordinary, more so for the fact that this was a radical period in Picasso’s life, who along with Georges Braque, pioneered this deconstructive and abstract form of art in the early twentieth century.
In this charcoal drawing, which was purchased by the gallery with the ‘generous legacy’ made by Henry and Sula Walton, you get to experience the inner workings of the artist, which at first comes across as an assemblage of random shapes, before you realise that yes, indeed, this is the unusual representation of someone’s face.
Along with establishing a charitable fund that helps the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art acquire new works of art, the couple also bequeathed their art collection to the establishment.
“I think Henry and Sula Walton would have been thrilled by this acquisition,” commented Simon Groom, director of the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art.
“They were passionate about art, passionate about the gallery, and passionate that the very greatest artworks should be available for our visitors to see. This drawing lies right at the start of modern art. It is bold, dramatic and hugely inventive: with works such as this Picasso completely rewrote the rules on art.”
He concluded by saying that while there are comparable drawings of this ilk by Picasso in museums in Paris and New York, in the UK, in terms of public collections, there is nothing that compares. True to its commitment to showcasing exceptional works, Head is now on display.
Unlike his paintings, Picasso tended to keep hold of his drawings. When he passed away at the age of 91 in 1973, much of this material and existing work – he once remarked that he was the greatest collector of his own art – was transferred to the French state. They can now be found in the Musee Picasso in the French capital.
This drawing however, belonged to the artists granddaughter Marina, who sold it to leading modern art dealer Jan Krugler. So enamoured by the work was he, that he ended up keeping it in his own personal collection. Head came into the gallery’s possession when Mr Krugler’s collection of drawings went up for auction atSotheby’s earlier this year.
Cadogan Tate works with artists, galleries and museums to deliver art storage solutions.