20231002173920.jpg)
Pablo Picasso’s dove and owl reappear at auction in Saint Paul
The book "La Guerre et la Paix" (War and Peace), published by Cercle d’Art in 1954: a true witness to the creation of Pablo Picasso’s chapel mural in Vallauris.
In 1948, Spanish artist Pablo Picasso settled in Vallauris, where he would remain for several years. While this period is best known for his prolific ceramic work at the Madoura workshop, it also marked the beginning of a major mural project for the vestibule of the local chapel. In 1951, Picasso began work on a diptych centered on the theme of War and Peace. This monumental work recalls Henri Matisse’s decoration of the Chapel of the Rosary in Vence (1949–51), yet Picasso’s vision differed: he imagined a temple to Peace, stripped of religious connotation, reflecting his commitment to the Peace Movement. The creation of the mural was preceded by approximately 300 preparatory drawings, extensively documented by journalist Claude Roy, who followed the artist throughout the process and compiled a remarkable album:
“This album is the journal of worries, revelations, doodles and flashes of insight, of patience and impatience, all leading to the execution by Pablo Picasso of the two grand compositions, War and Peace.”
The preparatory drawings were later lithographed by Fernand Mourlot under Picasso’s supervision, and a limited number of copies of La Guerre et la Paix were published by Cercle d’Art in 1954—intended mainly for the artist’s friends and select collectors. The intimate nature of the publication explains why some copies appear on the art market with personal dedications from Picasso, occasionally accompanied by an original drawing.
A title page enhanced with an oil pastel drawing: a testament to the artist’s regard
Our copy of "La Guerre et la Paix" is one of those personally gifted by Picasso to his close circle. It features a handwritten dedication on the title page, addressed to Madame Mearelli and dated April 8, 1960, executed in oil pastel. What makes this piece particularly special is the accompanying drawing—a dove and an owl, two powerful symbols that are emblematic of Picasso’s work.
The owl was a frequent motif in Picasso’s art, appearing in his ceramics, sculptures, and paintings. He even adopted a pet owl, Ubu. In the Peace panel of the Vallauris chapel, an owl is depicted above a child’s head, portrayed as a protective creature. However, in the preparatory studies published in the book, a darker, more somber owl appears—perhaps an allusion to the shadow of war.
Balancing this is the dove, also illustrated on our title page. Carrying an olive branch in its beak, the dove flies through a multicolored sky, with each hue highlighted by white pastel to enhance its brilliance. A recurring symbol in Picasso’s oeuvre, the dove first appeared in 1949 for the World Peace Congress and was later incorporated into the Peace panel in Vallauris, where it is shown on the fighter’s shield.
A dedication to Madame Mearelli, wife of industrialist Alfred Mearelli
The recipient of this personalized copy, Madame Mearelli, was the wife of Alfred Mearelli, an industrialist whose name lives on through the rugby stadium in Nice that honors him—he was once president of the local club. Mr. Mearelli was also a patron of the arts and closely connected to the creative community of the French Riviera. Evidence of this includes an invitation inserted in the book, inviting him to a 1965 auction in Saint-Paul de Vence featuring works by Picasso, and a support voucher for Le Patriote, a newspaper that in 1963 held a fundraising event where donors could win a linocut by Picasso in a raffle (lot 27 of that sale).
View the artwork’s designation here:
|
Browse the auction catalogue for Sunday, May 11 by clicking here.
For any appraisal or valuation of a work by Pablo Picasso, you can fill out the online form or contact the auction house directly