L'Aubade (The Serenade)
Painting on canvas • Pablo Picasso
Style & Movement
Late Period (Neo-Expressionism / Post-Cubism)
Medium & Technique
Oil and Ripolin on canvas. The technique exhibits energetic, gestural brushwork with areas of impasto and flat color fields, utilizing both traditional oil paints and industrial enamels.
Creation Period
January 20, 1967
Dimensions & Format
Landscape format. Original dimensions: 130 x 195 cm (approx. 51 x 77 inches).
Subject Description
A seated male musician plays an aulos (double flute) to a reclining nude woman resting on a couch. The composition is a variation on the artist's frequent 'musician and voyeur' theme, exploring the relationship between the active creator and the passive muse with aggressive, distorted anatomy.
Condition & Value Assessment
Condition Assessment
Very Good. The surface shows some expected aging and light craquelure characteristic of late 1960s Picasso works, particularly where heavy impasto or varied paint layers are present.
Estimated Market Value
$15,000,000 - $25,000,000 USD
Auction Estimate
$12,000,000 - $18,000,000 USD
Provenance History
Formerly in the Collection of the artist; private collections. Likely part of the extensive series produced at Mougins during the artist's final decade.
Art Historical Significance
A major example of Picasso's late 'Grand Style' from the 1960s. It reflects his obsession with the theme of the 'Aubade'—traditionally a morning song from a lover to his beloved—referencing Old Masters like Titian and Manet while utilizing a visceral, proto-Expressionist vernacular.
Notable Features
Features the signature 'Picasso' in the top right corner. The work is notable for its vibrant, almost acidic palette and the 'primitive' rendering of the musician's face, which references African mask aesthetics from Picasso's early career.
Condition Issues
Minor surface dirt; slight evidence of stretcher bar marks; stable craquelure in the more heavily worked white and yellow sections.
Conservation Recommendations
Should be kept in a climate-controlled environment with UV-filtered lighting. Surface cleaning by a professional conservator is recommended if never previously treated.