(Young Girl Playing with a Ball)

1906

Medium: Original drawing in pen and ink on paper; signed “Picasso” lower left

Size: 31.7 × 24.7 cm (12½ × 9¾ in)

Provenance:

Jeanne Lanvin, Princesse de Polignac (1867–1946), Paris, and thence by descent;

Christie’s, London, 9 December 1998, lot 639;

acquired at the above sale by the last owner

Authentication: Certificate from Claude Picasso dated 29 June 2017 accompanies the work

Condition: See detailed condition report below

This intimate drawing depicts a young girl absorbed in play, gently interacting with a ball. Executed in fluid pen-and-ink lines, the composition is economical yet expressive, with a lightness of touch that captures both movement and innocence. The figure is rendered with soft contours and understated modelling, allowing gesture and posture to convey mood rather than detail. The overall impression is one of quiet concentration and youthful grace.

Fillette jouant à la balle reflects Picasso’s growing fascination with childhood, performance, and transitional states during his Rose Period. The act of play becomes symbolic — a moment suspended between innocence and self-awareness. Unlike the melancholy figures of the preceding Blue Period, this child is neither burdened nor tragic; instead, she inhabits a world of gentle rhythm and introspection.

The ball itself functions as a recurring motif of balance, movement, and cyclical time — a simple object charged with metaphorical resonance. Picasso presents childhood not as sentimentality, but as a space of quiet dignity and inward focus.

This drawing belongs firmly to Picasso’s Rose Period (c. 1904–1906), characterised by warmer tonalities, lyrical line, and a shift toward themes of humanity, intimacy, and performance. During this phase, Picasso frequently depicted children, acrobats, and circus figures — subjects drawn from the bohemian and itinerant communities he encountered in Paris.

Works from this period mark a crucial transition between the emotional austerity of the Blue Period and the formal experimentation that would culminate in Cubism only a few years later.

Created when Picasso was just 25 years old, this drawing dates from a formative moment in his early career. The emotional darkness that defined the Blue Period — triggered in part by the suicide of his close friend Carlos Casagemas in 1901 — had begun to lift. While still financially insecure and relatively unknown, Picasso was immersed in the cultural life of Paris, engaging with poets, performers, and artists of the demi-monde.

This period is marked by renewed confidence and lyrical sensitivity, as Picasso explored themes of tenderness, humanity, and psychological depth with increasing assurance.

The subject and style closely relate to works from the Suite des Saltimbanques, a celebrated group of drawings and paintings depicting circus performers and children. A closely related drawing titled Fillette jouant à la balle is held in the collection of The Baltimore Museum of Art (Inv. 50.12.488, ex Cone Collection). While Christie’s initially dated the present work to 1902, the Baltimore Museum dates its version to 1906, and the two are so closely aligned that they were almost certainly executed contemporaneously.

Additional comparative works include Jeune femme au tambourin (Christie’s, 11 June 2008, lot 147), dated 1906, and the renowned 1905 oil depicting travelling circus performers, all reinforcing a 1906 dating for this drawing.

Working in pen and ink allowed Picasso to focus on immediacy and line — an approach well suited to capturing fleeting gestures and psychological nuance. The drawing demonstrates his extraordinary economy of means: minimal lines achieve maximum expression, a quality that would underpin his draughtsmanship throughout his career.

This drawing originates from the distinguished collection of Jeanne Lanvin, one of the most influential fashion designers of the early 20th century and a significant art collector. Lanvin’s refined eye for craftsmanship, form, and materiality extended beyond couture into the visual arts, and her ownership lends the work both cultural prestige and historical depth.

Picasso is universally recognised as one of the most transformative figures in modern art. Works from his early periods are particularly prized for revealing the emotional and technical foundations of an artist who would go on to redefine visual language in the 20th century.

Original drawings from Picasso’s Rose Period are exceptionally sought after, offering direct insight into the artist’s hand at a moment of emotional renewal and stylistic clarity. The combination of early date, intimate subject matter, distinguished provenance, and authentication by Claude Picasso makes Fillette jouant à la balle a rare and compelling work for serious collectors.

Early Picasso drawings, particularly from the Rose Period, occupy a highly secure position within the market. Their scarcity, institutional representation, and historical importance underpin long-term demand. With museum-held comparables and impeccable provenance, this work represents a museum-quality acquisition of lasting cultural and financial significance.

Pen and ink on wove paper. Hinged to the mount at the reverse upper sheet corners. The edges are slightly irregular with tiny nicks. Strong light and mount staining visible. Diagonal flattened creases at the corners and further soft creases elsewhere. The upper and lower left corners show skilfully repaired tears. Foxmarks, spots of discolouration, and surface dirt are present in places. The reverse bears a very small historic hinge remnant.