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Lot Essay
In Sir Roland Penrose’s mysterious 1937 composition, Artifact, a strange, biomorphic creature stands atop an innocuous table, its otherworldly appearnce at odds with the banality of its surroundings. Although highly sculptural, its peculiar assemblage of body parts appearing like a man-made, Surrealist object, there is a distinct sense of animation to its form, as if it may turn to look at us, or gnash its teeth in our direction at any moment. Two arms spring from the crown of the metallic helmet which encases its vibrantly painted face, while another arm emerges from its mouth, an incongruous placement that adds a note of disquiet to the scene. The three hands grasp one another by the wrist, creating a complex, interlocking gesture, that alternatively appears tender and threatening, caring and violent.
With its arrangement of overlapping, interconnecting body parts, Artifact holds many affinities to the work of Pablo Picasso, who had been an important influence and an artistic idol for Penrose since the beginnings of his artistic career in the early 1920s. Penrose had first met Picasso just a year prior to the present work being created, during a heady summer visit to the home of Paul Éluard in Mougins. Although their initial encounter almost ended in disaster after Penrose crashed a car in which they were both travelling, injuring Picasso enough so that the Spaniard required x-rays and a brief trip to the hospital, it marked the beginning of an important and lasting friendship between the two artists, which would last until Picasso’s death. Penrose would come to own several important works by the artist, including Picasso’s iconic 1937 composition, Weeping Woman, now at the Tate Gallery in London.
With its arrangement of overlapping, interconnecting body parts, Artifact holds many affinities to the work of Pablo Picasso, who had been an important influence and an artistic idol for Penrose since the beginnings of his artistic career in the early 1920s. Penrose had first met Picasso just a year prior to the present work being created, during a heady summer visit to the home of Paul Éluard in Mougins. Although their initial encounter almost ended in disaster after Penrose crashed a car in which they were both travelling, injuring Picasso enough so that the Spaniard required x-rays and a brief trip to the hospital, it marked the beginning of an important and lasting friendship between the two artists, which would last until Picasso’s death. Penrose would come to own several important works by the artist, including Picasso’s iconic 1937 composition, Weeping Woman, now at the Tate Gallery in London.