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 is being unveiled and 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.
“It has been a great pleasure collecting and living with these works over the past 25 years, as well as sharing them with the public through loans to exhibitions across Europe and the United States,” Pieter and Olga Dreesmann said. “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.”
An impressive exhibition to mark Ward Moretti’s first anniversary
The first presentation of The Pieter and Olga Dreesmann Collection of Works by Pablo Picasso was at Ward Moretti in London during Frieze Week in October. The collection then travels to the newly opened Moretti Fine Art Paris where it goes on show during Paris+ par Art Basel, then to New York and, finally, at the Moretti Fine Art Monaco from 7th to 22nd December.
As Emma Ward explained, “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.”
Dreesmann’s preference for drawings rather than paintings
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.
A full list of works and pricing information is available on request from Ward Moretti, a joint venture between Emma Ward, formerly Managing Director of Dickinson, and renowned Old Master Paintings and Sculpture dealer Fabrizio Moretti.
A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this Picasso collection will be given to couples’ chosen charities in support children with genetic disorders and special needs.
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Main photo: the Pieter and Olga Dreesmann Collection of works by Pablo Picasso Picture Succession Picasso DACS London 2023