Circle of Pablo Picasso (1881-1973)

Barcelona - Fuente en el Parque, 1895

signed 'P Ruiz Picasso' and dated (middle right), inscribed with title (lower)

pen and ink with watercolour

27.5 x 19.5cm.

Provenance:

Sotheby's, Impressionist and Modern Drawings and Watercolours, 27 April 1967, lot 134;

O'Hana Gallery, London;

Mr. B Shine.

O'Hana Gallery archives at the Tate Gallery state that Jacques O'Hana acquired the current lot from a Mr. Schneider in 1971.

Note:

The fountain depicted is situated in the Parc de la Ciutadella in Barcelona. It is known as 'The Fox and the Stork', illustrating one of Aesop's Fables. The drawing shows the fountain in its original state as designed by the Catalan sculptor Eduard Batiste Alentorn in 1884. The base has since been altered and still stands on the park's southwest side. Picasso would often visit to work in this park while a student at the Barcelona School of Art, known as the Escola de la Llotja, see John Richardson, A Life of Picasso, vol1, p. 78.

The present lot was offered at Sotheby's in 1967 (lot 134 as per provenance line). It was given a full attribution and catalogued as 'Pablo Picasso, Barcelona - Fuente en el Parque. Lot 133 in the same sale was also given full attribution to Picasso and titled Portrait du Pere du Peintre. In 1989, lot 133, which had been accompanied by a certificate from Picasso, was presented before the Picasso Administration and was accepted as an authentic work. In 2013, the present lot, was submitted to the Picasso Administration and was not authenticated.

Since this date, Sotheby’s have confirmed that at the 1967 sale, both the present drawing and the authenticated lot belonged to the same vendor. The dimensions of the work are almost identical to other authenticated sketches by Picasso.