Lot 20:
Francis PICABIA (1879-1953)
Untitled (Martigues) 1905 Oil on canvas Signed lower right "Picabia / 1905" 33.3 x 46 cm
€50,000 - €70,000

Provenance: Private Parisian collection, in the same family for three generations.

A painting of the same date and subject in different colors and dimensions is held in the Félix Ziem Museum, in Martigues. Accompanied by a certificate from the Picabia Committee attesting that the work will be included in the next catalogue raisonné (dated 31/10/2022).

"One would say that Picabia is varied; I believe that one must above all say that he is sincere; it is the constant observation he has of nature that allows him to move from one effect to another with such success: and it is she, the tireless generator of art, that guides his young and firm talent in his mission of beauty." Léon Roger-Milès on Picabia in 1907
Picabia is considered a major figure in modern art, particularly for his affiliation with surrealist movements. Thanks to the discovery of Alfred Sisley and the painters of the Barbizon School in 1897, his early works were influenced by Impressionism for 10 years. During this period, he discovered the work of Felix Ziem through his uncle's collection, for whom he developed a strong admiration. This elective affinity brought him to Martigues from 1898. This city is dear to Felix Zem's heart as he set up his studio there in the 1840s. In 1905, while Fauvism was in full bloom, Francis Picabia explored the modulations and tonalities of Impressionism, as evidenced by this view of the Berre pond in Martigues. This marine painting renders, thanks to a soft and fragmented touch, a climatic and luminous impression of the pond. The elaborate pastel nuances echo a vibrant and warm soft light.

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