Francis Picabia. Catalogue Raisonné Vol IV. 1940 – 1953

This publication, the fourth in an important multi-volume catalogue raisonné of the work of Francis Picabia (1879–1953), includes the paintings and a selection of drawings from 1940 to 1952. During the war years, while still residing in the south of France, Picabia was primarily occupied by figural subjects—multi-figure allegories, female nudes, and glamorous female “portraits”—painted in bold illusionistic relief. Notorious even in his lifetime, most of these works are now known to have adapted photographic illustrations in older “girly” magazines and other popular media.

Returning to Paris in 1945, Picabia renewed his earlier interests in abstract and non-objective art, still often drawing upon published sources ranging from prehistoric art to Nietzsche, and pursued frequent exhibition of his distinctive, constantly mutating responses to critical currents of the day.

These included a series of severely reductive, subtly effective “point” or dot paintings beginning in 1949—three years before ill-health effectively ended a half-century of Francis Picabia’s artistic provocation.

Also check out the already published first three volumes of this catalogue raissoné.