HELENE BAILLY MARCILHAC

Produced in the early 1940s, this portrait of a woman forms part of the iconic series that Francis Picabia developed during the Second World War.

Having settled in the south of France after leaving Paris, the artist went on to develop a distinctive style, characterised by a palette dominated by cool tones, deep blues, silvery greys and pearly highlights, which lend his figures a presence that is both enigmatic and imbued with melancholy.

At this time, Picabia moved away from the radical experiments that had characterised his Dadaist period and his
mechanical compositions of previous decades. He returned to a more controlled figurative style, drawing on images from popular visual culture. In particular, the artist drew inspiration from illustrations in magazines such as Paris Cinéma, Paris Magazine and Mon Paris, as well as from certain so-called ‘erotic’ magazines. Drawing on these sources—photographs of actresses, singers and music-hall performers—he isolated poses, gazes and expressions which he reinterpreted in his paintings, lending them an almost unreal quality.

Through a close-up frame, focused on the face, and high-contrast lighting reminiscent of film studios, Picabia profoundly revitalised the portrait genre, infusing it with a striking modernity.

Today, these works occupy a central place in the critical re-evaluation of his late output.

Long perceived as ambiguous or provocative, they are now seen as a conscious exploration of the tensions between popular culture, the portrait tradition and pictorial modernity. They bear witness to the freedom of an artist who, throughout his career, never ceased to challenge established categories.

With their quiet atmosphere and aloof elegance, these portraits embody a singular moment in Picabia’s career: that of a painter who, against a turbulent backdrop, transforms the female figure into a timeless presence, at once alluring and elusive.

From the 1920s onwards, Francis Picabia had an intense relationship with Germaine Everling, who became both his partner and one of his principal sources of inspiration.

Close to avant-garde circles, she shared with him a period marked by the energy of the Dada movement and great creative vitality. Several works bear witness to this relationship, notably the Dada Portrait of Germaine Everling (1920), now in the collection of the Centre Pompidou.