''Jeune Fille Endormie'' is a 1935

oil on canvas Oil painting is a painting method involving the procedure of painting with pigments combined with a drying oil as the binder. It has been the most common technique for artistic painting on canvas, wood panel, or copper for several centuries. ...

painting by Spanish painter

Pablo Picasso Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso (25 October 1881 – 8 April 1973) was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, Ceramic art, ceramicist, and Scenic ...

depicting his model and lover, Marie-Thérèse Walter, as she slept. It was sold at

Christie's Christie's is a British auction house founded in 1766 by James Christie (auctioneer), James Christie. Its main premises are on King Street, St James's in London, and it has additional salerooms in New York, Paris, Hong Kong, Milan, Geneva, Shan ...

auction house in London in 2011 for nearly £13.5 million after being donated to the

University of Sydney The University of Sydney (USYD) is a public university, public research university in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in both Australia and Oceania. One of Australia's six sandstone universities, it was one of the ...

by an anonymous American donor.

Background

''Jeune Fille Endormie'' is rarely seen in public. The only time it has been previously available for viewing was in 1939 when owner Walter P. Chrysler Jr. lent it to the

Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street (Manhattan), 53rd Street between Fifth Avenue, Fifth and Sixth Avenues. MoMA's collection spans the late 19th century to the present, a ...

in New York City for a retrospective of Picasso's work. It was donated to the

by an anonymous American donor and was sent to be sold at

auction house in London in June 2011. While it was expected to sell for up to £12 million, it actually sold for nearly £13.5 million, with the proceeds going toward a A$400m (£260m) research center. The donor had made his donation conditional upon the painting being immediately sold with proceeds going toward research; he delivered it personally, having flown from overseas with the painting in his hand-luggage. An additional ten paintings were also donated, along with items of jewelry. Tim Dolan, director of development for the university reported that as the donor handed over the painting, he said, "When you own a valuable painting like this, it sort of owns you back. For the first time in a long, long while, I finally feel free."

Description

''Jeune Fille Endormie'' is one of many paintings Picasso made of his lover, Marie-Thérèse Walter. It is tightly focused on the sleeping head of Marie-Thérèse, with her body painted in an incandescent array of colors. It was completed and signed by Picasso on 3 February 1935. The painting is signed by Picasso on the upper left and measures 46.3 cm x 55 cm.

References

{{Pablo Picasso Paintings by Pablo Picasso 1935 paintings Portraits of women