Françoise Gilot

(French, 1921-2023)

Les Deux Amies III (Françoise et Geneviève), 1942

pen, black ink, and wash on handmade paper

signed F. Gilot and dated (lower left)

20 3/4 x 25 1/8 inches.

This lot is located in Philadelphia.

The authenticity of this work has been confirmed by Françoise Gilot and it is registered in the Artist's archives under the number g.159.

Provenance:

The Artist.

A gift from the above.

Private Collection, Los Angeles.

Thence by descent in the family.

Bonhams, New York, sale of November 14, 2017, lot 22.

Acquired directly from the above sale by the present owner.

Lot Note:

Françoise Gilot and Genevieve Aliquot met at the age of 12 while in boarding school in Neuilly-sur-Seine. Nine years later, in 1943, they remained dear friends and held their first joint exhibition in a gallery owned by Madeleine Decré in Paris. It was that same year that the pair met Picasso, who was later to become the father of Françoise Gilot's first two children, Claude and Paloma. Genevieve, remained throughout the artist's career her main muse and "leitmotif" producing hundreds of drawings and paintings of her. The present work is part of a series in which Gilot depicted her close friendship, contrasting it with thick yet straightforward lines, highlighting their individual and determined personalities.

Les Deux Amies III (Françoise et Geneviève), 1942

Les Deux Amies III (Françoise et Geneviève), 1942