<p>Originally painted as a section of the curtain for the Serge Diaghilev's Ballet Russe over three weeks in London, the painting was was acquired by Phyllis Lambert for the Four Seasons. It depicts a Spanish bullring. It hung on the Four Seasons Wall for many years until Aby Rosen bought the building. He undertook a renovation of the restaurant and decided to remove the curtain in order to 'preserve' it in the middle of the night. Many people were concerned; articles were written; and the curtain ended up at the New York Historical Society.</p>

Four Seasons Restaurant

New York Historical

Le Tricorne

This piece was created from one of the five original busts in Picasso's Sylvette series, which were inspired by Sylvette David, whom Picasso met in 1954. Norwegian sculptor Carl Nesjar created this enlarged, 67-ton sculpture using a Betograve sand-blasting technique. It is the only outdoor Picasso artwork in New York City. 

This sculpture is one of two such concrete structures by Nesjar (the other is located in Rotterdam, Holland). It is based on a folded-metal original made by Picasso in 1954. Sylvette modeled for this work at age 19; this is one of over 40 portraits Picasso made of her in his studio in Vallauris in the south of France.

The statue is located in the Silver Towers Complex, created by I. M. Pei in 1966. In 2008, the space was designated as a historic landmark. 

between West Houston, Bleecker and Mercer

Bust of Sylvette

Daley Plaza

Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) is arguably one of the most influential artists of the twentieth century. Born in Spain, he became a painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist, and stage designer. Picasso is also credited (along with Georges Braque) to be the creator of Cubism, a groundbreaking style of art that had a profound affect on nearly all iconography thereafter. For eighty of his ninety-one years, Picasso's contribution to the art world was unparalleled. 

Pablo Picasso

SITES

ADDITIONAL PHOTOGRAPHS