For TEFAF New York Spring 2018, which takes place at the Park Avenue Armory from 4-8 May, Dickinson will present The Modern Muse, featuring a superb range of 20th century works by some of the most significant contributors to Modern and Contemporary Art.
The exhibition will be led by Pablo Picasso’s Tête de femme (Jacqueline), a portrait of his second wife Jacqueline, his muse and constant companion during the final two decades of his life. The role of the muse was vital to Picasso’s art, and instrumental in the realisation of many of his greatest masterpieces. We will show four muse portraits by Picasso at TEFAF. Tête de femme (Jacqueline), one of two works dated May 3rd, 1963, belonged first to Picasso’s long-term dealer Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler. It was purchased 51 years ago by the present owner’s family from Heinz Berggruen, the German-Jewish collector and dealer who befriended many of the titans of 20th century art. Jacqueline is also the inspiration for Picasso’s Egyptian-inspired ink drawing Personnage de profil (Jacqueline) from 1960; while two of his earlier loves, Dora Maar and Françoise Gilot, are captured in the drawings Tête de femme (1943) and Portrait de Françoise (1946). Picasso’s friend and rival Henri Matisse executed the elegant large-scale charcoal drawing Étude pour figure décorative sur fond ornemental (1925-26), which references his widely-admired odalisques. We will also exhibit Chaïm Soutine’s La Femme accoudée, which depicts his companion Gerda Groth in a pensive pose, and was painted circa 1937. And two works by Wilfredo Lam from 1936 and circa 1942 draw on Picasso’s Cubism, Surrealism, and on the artist’s own Cuban heritage.
From the second half of the 20th century we will show a group of sketches and highly-worked charcoal studies by the Abstract Expressionist Willem de Kooning, which relate to his Woman series, and which were highly influenced by Picasso’s innovations; and a 1964 Jackie by Andy Warhol, from his iconic series representing the First Lady.
2018 marks not only Dickinson Gallery’s 25th anniversary, but also the 20th year Dickinson has participated in TEFAF fairs. We look forward to welcoming visitors to this year’s presentation.