Pablo Picasso’s 'Femme accroupie (Jacqueline)', 1954

Rarely seen in public since 1954, Pablo Picasso's vivid celebration of his lover, Jacqueline Roque, remained in his collection for many years. In early autumn, 1954, Pablo Picasso was living in the south of France with Jacqueline Roque, his lover, whom he had met in 1952. They would soon return to Paris, where they would live together in the artist’s studio before marrying in 1961. ‘So much of Picasso’s career can be traced through the women in his life; the loves and what they inspired in him artistically,’ says Jessica Fertig, Impressionist and Modern Art specialist at Christie’s in New York. ‘Here he is in a new relationship, and the colour and light and vibrancy you see in this painting reflects the happiness he was feeling,’ Fertig explains. ‘By presenting Jacqueline on this grand scale, he sets her apart, introducing her to the world as the woman who would carry him through the rest of his artistic career. It’s a joyful representation of this new muse, this new love who had reinvigorated the artist.’ Find out more: http://ift.tt/2zkYORC -- Subscribe to Christie's YouTube: http://goo.gl/Vmh7Hf Sign up to Christie's Weekly: https://goo.gl/kc8qpV Follow Christie's on: Facebook: http://ift.tt/2elC9Zg Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChristiesInc Instagram: http://ift.tt/2iJ3lGm Pinterest: http://ift.tt/2elCafM