Although the painting is not signed, it contains a word in German whose calligraphy matches the Spanish painter’s writing style, according to experts.
Source: RT in Spanish
Italian experts have brought to light a work that, they consider, could have been made by Pablo Picasso and given as a gift to his friend and German painter Paul Klee, in which the dictator Adof Hitler is represented in a caricatured way, informs Brancaleoni Castle (Italy), where the painting was recently presented.
“Currently the work cannot be attributed with certainty to Picasso”, recognized Annalisa Di Maria, member of the committee of experts in Art and Literature of the UNESCO center in Florence. “Certainly the painting will have to be investigated further,” she added.
However, the specialist emphasizes that, in her opinion, there is no doubt that it is a work by the Spanish painter and that, if its authorship is verified, it would be an exceptional discovery it would also be a great example of Picasso’s opposition and struggle against Hitler.
This work shows a caricatured image of the Nazi dictator, as it includes some elements not tolerated by the Führer and his regime such as the makeup on the face, the lipstick and the pipe. The word ‘Schweigen’ (‘Shut up’, in German) can be seen on the lips, which could mean the will to keep the work secret to prevent the author from being persecuted by the Nazis, or the persecution and censorship characteristic of the regime. .
Entitled ‘The Serpent’s Eye’ due to the rattlesnake that marks the contour of the character’s face, this work would have been painted between 1935 and 1937, and it is believed that Picasso gave it to Klee, who at that time was one of the artists most persecuted by the German regime.
Although the painting is not signed, after analyzing the features of the word in German, the expert calligrapher Stefano Fortunati determined that the initial letter ‘S’ matches Picasso’s writing style.
“The eye of the serpent” attributable to Picasso. It seems that he gave it to his friend Paul Klee, a painter persecuted by Nazism.
It’s a mockery of Hitler, there are several elements that tell us it’s him ?? pic.twitter.com/GA3Utj3rCS— Routinera (@larutinera) August 20, 2022
In addition, Di Maria points out that the analysis of the painting has determined that there are chemical elements typically used in Picasso’s works of that time, which over time caused them to become somewhat discolored.
“The work deserves to be known, studied again and seen by other experts to appreciate its importance,” the expert concluded.
Currently, “The Eye of the Serpent” belongs to a private collection of an Italian family.
