Clay vignette of cheerfully starving artist

Clay vignette of smiling tramp on pavement, next to paintings and various artwork he no doubt intends to flog to innocent passers-by

Although this charming piece looks at first as though it may have been the brainchild of a bored and slightly demented housewife packed off to pottery class by her cheating scumbag of a husband, in actual fact it was carefully sculpted by Picasso when visiting an unknown contemporary in Paris. His friend was embarking on a now long-forgotten masterpiece in clay and glaze, and while talking to him Picasso mindlessly toyed with some offcuts. The piece was glazed and finished despite his initial dislike of it, and sat in his study for decades until stolen by a visiting paintbrush salesman. It was then passed down the generations, its famous creator long forgotten.

Value estimated at £1.8m.

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1 Response to Clay vignette of cheerfully starving artist

  1. I believe that the tramp (Claude le Clochard) on whom the piece was modelled went on to become a greatly respected avant garde and highly collectable artist in his own right. Many of his acclaimed Naïve art pieces can be seen in top galleries around the world. He was an inspiration to many, showing that circumstances could be overcome and that poverty was not a barrier to success. Claude was a great champion of the underprivileged, right up until he downed a litre of neat de-icer laced with Nitrazepam and hurled himself off a tall office block in central Lyon at the age of only 48. It is small tragedies like this that remind us of stuff, and how stuff is everywhere.

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