LONDON.- A remarkable single-owner survey collection of 32 works on paper, unique ceramics and sculpture by Pablo Picasso assembled over 25 years and spanning key moments in the artist’s career was unveiled and is being offered for sale by London-based dealership Ward Moretti. Marking the 50th anniversary of Picasso’s death, exhibitions in London, Paris, New York and Monaco represent a rare opportunity to acquire a diverse range of works from one of the most influential artists of the 20th century.

Since the first Picasso work entered their collection in 1997, Dutch collector Pieter Dreesmann and his wife Olga have worked closely with James Roundell to build and shape the collection. From early Blue, Rose and Cubist explorations to Neo-classicism, Surrealism and later periods of his career, the works in the collection date from 1899 to 1962 and cover the broad spectrum of Picasso's artistic evolution.

Pieter and Olga Dreesmann said: “It has been a great pleasure collecting and living with these works over the past twenty-five years, as well as sharing them with the public through loans to exhibitions across Europe and the United States. Each of these objects holds special significance for us but we have decided now is the right time for others to have the opportunity to own and enjoy them as we begin a new chapter in our lives as collectors.”

The first presentation of The Pieter and Olga Dreesmann Collection of Works by Pablo Picasso was at Ward Moretti in London during Frieze Week [9-13 October], marking the first anniversary of the gallery with its inaugural exhibition. The collection then traveled to the newly opened Moretti Fine Art Paris where it was on show during Paris + par Art Basel [16-25 October] and to New York at 11 East 70th Street [6-18 November] to coincide with the November auctions. Finally the works are being presented at Moretti Monaco [6 - 22 December] in the heart of the principality at Park Palace, 27 Avenue de la Costa.

Emma Ward said: “I first met Pieter Dreesmann in 1998 and from the very start his passion for each artwork he acquired was clear. It was a great pleasure to then meet Olga and see that she shared the same distinct vision for the sustained quality and shape of the collection. Having witnessed how Pieter and Olga have nurtured this high calibre, scholarly collection with James Roundell’s insight over the last 25 years, it is a privilege to be entrusted with the sale of these rare and important Picassos at what is a significant moment for Ward Moretti Ltd. as we celebrate our first anniversary.”

The exhibition is accompanied by a scholarly publication written by renowned Picasso expert Dr Marilyn McCully, and each work has been individually catalogued by Dr Molly Taylor. The show has been designed in collaboration with Axel Clissen from Socle Studio to enhance the experience of closely studying these intimate artworks.

Following in the long-held Dreesmann family tradition, Pieter and Olga remain supporters of art research by funding the Dr. Anton C. R. Dreesmann Followship at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. They also continue to donate to various philanthropic causes linked to the care of children with genetic disorders and special needs. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this Picasso collection will be given to these charitable endeavours.

The Pieter and Olga Dreesmann Collection of Works by Pablo Picasso

The preference for drawings rather than paintings has been fundamental to the formation of the collection, which focuses on detailed, smaller scale works on paper. Highlights include the 1915 watercolour still life Guitare sur une table, the 1929 pen-and-ink drawing of a bather on a beach Baigneuse au ballon, and the bold image of a woman crying, Femme hurlant sa douleur, which was made at the time of the Spanish Civil War and has similarities with the heads of the weeping women in Picasso’s masterpiece Guernica.

Drawings of the Japanese actress Sada Yacco and the Wagnerian opera singer Suzanne Bloch feature in the collection alongside many of the women who shared Picasso’s life, including the artist’s model Fernande Olivier and the photographer Dora Maar. There are also three images of the artist’s mistress Marie-Thérèse Walter, all dating from the 1930s, including the watercolour Sur la terrasse that was executed in Picasso’s room at the Hôtel Majestic in Cannes in 1933 and features the typical red tiled roofs of Provence in the background.

Other works in the collection with significant documentary significance include a rare graphite and watercolour drawing of Picasso’s friend Carles Casagemas which appeared alongside an obituary of the artist following his suicide in 1901, and a hand-drawn invitation to Picasso’s 1905 exhibition at the Galeries Serrurier in Paris.

The three-dimensional objects in the collection, carefully chosen to complement the drawings in scale and subject matter, include a significant group of early bronzes such as the 1905 Tête d'arlequin, and several unique ceramics. The earliest ceramic in the collection, the 1948 Tête de faune barbu, dates from the artist’s initial period of activity at the Madoura pottery in Vallauris and takes the form of a traditional Provençal steak platter.

Pablo Picasso

Pablo Picasso (1881 – 1973), a name that resonates with the essence of modern art, forever transformed the artistic landscape of the 20th century. Born on October 25, 1881, in the bustling city of Málaga, Spain, Picasso emerged as a prodigy from a young age, displaying an insatiable curiosity and an insurmountable passion for creation. Throughout his life, he pushed the boundaries of art, reinventing himself time and time again, leaving an indelible mark on the world of creativity.

Beyond his technical virtuosity, Picasso's art is profoundly human. His oeuvre reflects the tumultuous events of the 20th century, including the horrors of war and the complexities of love and relationships. From his early Blue and Rose periods, marked by melancholy introspection and delicate tones, to his ground-breaking Cubist revolution that shattered the conventions of representation, Picasso's artistic evolution is a testament to his relentless pursuit of artistic freedom. Whether depicting the anguish of the Spanish Civil War or expressing the tenderness of familial bonds through his portraits, Picasso's work resonates with raw emotion, inviting viewers to contemplate the fundamental aspects of the human condition.

Ward Moretti

Ward Moretti opened in October 2022. A joint venture between Emma Ward, formerly Managing Director of Dickinson, and renowned Old Master Paintings and Sculpture dealer Fabrizio Moretti, the gallery focuses on quality 19th and 20th Century artworks from the Impressionist, Post- Impressionist, Modern and Post-War periods, covering all mediums from painting and sculpture to works on paper. Ward Moretti Ltd. has its own gallery entrance at 12 Duke Street, the right- hand side of the newly renovated Moretti Fine Art gallery in St James’s, London, which opened in July 2022.

Ward Moretti
December 7th, 2023 - December 22nd, 2023
A preview of the opening will be offered on Wednesday 6 December in the afternoon.