Picasso, Pablo. (1881–1973) [Stanley Stanley]
Belly by Picasso - Original Photograph with Ernst Ascher
An extraordinary original photograph depicting the great artist, posing in the street to the left of Ernst Ascher, noted Austrian dealer of African art, whose bare torso has been painted with a face by the artist. Cannes, 1954. 4.75 x 5.25 inches (12 x 13.5 cm). A note on the verso in an unknown hand, possibly that of Michel de Bry, reads: "Asher 'peint' par Picasso." Provenance: from the collections of Curnonsky (Maurice Edmond Sailland), the celebrated French writer on gastronomy, and the art dealer and collector Michel de Bry.This remarkable photograph is the product of a chance encounter in 1954 between amateur British photographer Stanley Stanley and Picasso on the beach of Antibes. The two hit it off, and Picasso invited Stanley to his nearby villa. Stanley spent several days with Picasso, his family and circle of friends, and during this period the artist allowed him to record the visit in a series of photographs on his Rolleiflex camera. The result was a sequence of images which are informal and offer a unique insight into the family life of the world-famous artist.
(15683)Unsigned Photograph Art & Design