Ward Moretti is honoured to present The Pieter and Olga Dreesmann Collection of Works by Pablo Picasso. This unique collection will be shown from the 7^th until the 22^nd of December at Moretti Fine Art Monaco.

Pieter first discovered just a small drawing from Picasso’s blue period on his trip to Paris in 1997. This moment sparked an immediate obsession with this jewel of the artist’s works in the collector and started his formidable collection and an in-depth study of the artist.

At the heart of the two collectors’ approach lies a preference for drawings rather than paintings, as they believe that these works display the artist’s emotions and passions more closely. The pieces, spanning from 1899 to 1962, cover almost the entirety of Picasso’s career and include different periods from his early exploration of blue, pink and cubism to neo-classicism, surrealism and the Spanish Civil War. This outstanding collection reveals the artist’s visionary side, the wide variety of techniques and mediums that he used and the main stages of his work.

Some of the highlights of the exhibition include the 1915 watercolour still-life painting Guitare sur une table, the 1929 pen-and-ink drawing of a bather on a beach Baigneuse au ballon and drawings of the Japanese actress Sada Yacco. The exhibition also features a rare graphite and watercolour drawing of Picasso’s friend Carles Casagemas, which appeared alongside an obituary of the artist after his suicide in 1901 and a hand-drawn invitation to Picasso’s 1905 exhibition at the Galeries Serrurier in Paris. Complementing the drawings are some of Picasso’s early bronze works, such as: as the 1905 Tête d’arlequin and some of his most unique ceramic works. The earliest ceramic work on display is the 1948 Tête de faune barbu from the start of the artist’s pottery work in Vaullaris and takes the shape of a traditional Provencal steak platter.

Pieter and Olga have enjoyed collecting and living with the artworks over the past twenty five years, as well as sharing them with the public through loans to exhibitions across the United States and Europe. Since their very first Picasso work in 1997, they have continuously worked with James Roundell to build and shape the collection. They have now decided to sell the collection so that others can enjoy and benefit from these works as well. As part of a long-standing family tradition, part of the proceeds from the sale will be donated to charity.

Entrusted to the London-based art dealership Ward Moretti, the first presentation of the collection took place at Frieze Week in London from the 9^th to the 13^th of October, marking the first anniversary of the gallery with the exhibition. The collection was next presented at the newly opened Moretti Fine Art Paris gallery where it was presented during the Paris + par Art Basel exhibition between the 16^th and the 25^th of October. After that the collection travelled to New York where it was shown at 11 East 70^th Street between the 6^th and 18^th of November, coinciding with November’s auctions. The works will be next presented at Moretti Fine Art Monaco, from the 7^th to the 22^nd of December, in the very heart of the principality at Park Palace, 27 Avenue de la Costa. The collection will be shown from Monday to Friday, from 10am to 6pm.

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This event also coincides with the fiftieth anniversary of Picasso’s death, to be celebrated in 2023 and with the exhibition of the artist’s works, which opened at the Centre Pompidou in October. It is accompanied by a scholarly publication written by a renowned Picasso expert, Dr. Marilyn McCully. A preview of the opening will also be offered on the 6^th of December, so save the date and don’t miss out on this truly unique showcase of Picasso’s artworks.