We should mistrust
picturesque people
we should mistrust
old master painting
we should even mistrust painting
painted without mistrust
- Francis Picabia
Michael Werner Gallery, Athens is pleased to present Francis Picabia – Women: Works on Paper 1921-1946, a focused exhibition of drawings of female faces, a favored subject of the iconoclastic French modern master, Francis Picabia (b. 1879 in Paris, d. 1953 in Paris).
Picabia’s contemporary Marcel Duchamp described Picabia’s work as a “kaleidoscopic series of art experiences.” Ahead of his peers, the artist regularly shifted styles, leaving behind an extraordinarily diverse body of work that continues to inspire countless generations of artists. While Picabia’s style regularly developed and morphed throughout his career, his dedication to rendering the classic, academic subject of women remained steadfast. Picabia painted and drew portraits of lovers, famous actresses, and anonymous beauties who appeared in popular publications such as Paris Magazine and Mon Paris.
The women depicted in the drawings in Francis Picabia – Women: Works on Paper 1921-1946 have dark eyes, dramatic shadows, and sharp, angular poses, all hallmarks of contemporaneous photographs and Hollywood headshots. Art historian Sara Cochran describes Picabia’s drawings of female faces: “There is no doubt that his portraits are his most personal work. Exploring eternal beauty and youth, they are emblematic of Picabia’s passion for the modern things of his time such as jazz, Hollywood films, fast cars, and life lived in the sun and by the sea.”
Francis Picabia – Women: Works on Paper 1921-1946 opens on 14 June from 6-9pm and will remain on view through summer. Michael Werner Gallery, Athens is open Tuesday to Friday from 11am to 7pm and Saturday from 11am to 3pm.