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Pablo Picasso. Les Demoiselles d'Avignon. 1907.

March 2004 Update

Pictured above:
Pablo Picasso. Les Demoiselles d'Avignon. 1907. Oil on canvas, 8' x 7' 8" (243.9 x 233.7 cm). Acquired through the Lillie P. Bliss Bequest. © 2003 Estate of Pablo Picasso/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York


Fig. 1-Example of varnish removal

Fig. 1

Second figure from left, detail of Knee.
Removal of varnish and wax reveals the clarity and nuance of Picasso’s palette, without the interference of a shiny and discolored coating. The area to the right of the knee has the varnish removed.


 
Fig.2 Tear
Fig.2b Tear
Fig. 2 - Before
Fig. 2 - After

Leg of central figure.
During phase two some pre-existing condition problems are being revealed such as the small tear above the still-life that was restored in 1948–50.


 
Fig. 3-Scratch Removal Fig. 3-Scratch Removal
Fig. 3 - Before
Fig. 3 - After
Still-life melon, detail of scratch before and after removing restoration paint. This shallow scratch occurred at the same time as the tear in 1948.


 
Fig.4 removal of surface coatings Fig. 4 removal of surface coatings
Fig. 4 - Before
Fig. 4 - After

Upper right head. With the removal of the surface coatings and glue residues, Picasso’s palette of complementary colors in the reworked head of the upper right figure gains heightened prominence in Les Demoiselles d’Avignon's unvarnished state.



 
Fig. 5 Second Campaign Fig. 5 Second Campaign
Fig. 5 - Before
Fig. 5 - After

Torso, leg, and arm of crouching figure, second campaign passage.
Passages of the second campaign are more easily distinguished by the bold shift in color and dry brushwork.

 
Copyright 2003 The Museum of Modern Art