Unknown artist (formerly attributed to Pablo Picasso, 1881-1973)

In the opinion of the Picasso scholar Marilyn McCully, this sheet is not by the hand Picasso. Her conclusion is based primarily upon the relative incompetence of the draftsmanship compared to Picasso's drawings of this same period (for comparison, see Picasso and Minteguiaga-Guezala, 2005, cat. 25, p. 99). In addition, the subject matter and style of the male nudes in this drawing are inconsistent with Picasso's drawn oeuvre. However, the inscription by Max Jacob (1876-1974) is authentic, raising the possibility that the sheet is an imitation of Picasso by Jacob, who frequently adopted the manner of his close friend in his own drawings. Related Literature: Hélène Seckel-Klein, Max Jacob et Picasso, exh. cat. (Paris, 1994); Picasso in Istanbul, exh. cat., ed. Bernard Ruiz-Picasso and Marta-Volga de Minteguiaga-Guezala (Istanbul, 2005).