The Face (1966) by Pablo Picasso

The first piece curated by Bensi Box is an untitled work by Pablo Picasso, which we are calling The Face (1966). Similar to the iconic ‘Tête d'homme’ owned by the Guggenheim, Picasso created a more cubist rendition inline with his some of his previous works for this masterpiece.

Bensi Box is proud to offer The Face (1966) by Pablo Picasso as our first tokenized and fractionalized artwork. We are excited to bring this work of art to the Avalanche blockchain, giving it new provenance in 2025.

We have partnered with Salvor to bring this collection to Avalanche. Salvor will be hosting the mint of The Face (1966) by Pablo Picasso on their NFT Launchpad. We are thrilled to be working with such an incredible NFT Marketplace, Launchpad, Lending Platform, & more.

Launchpad Partner: Salvor

Total Supply: 2401 Unique fractionalized pieces of the Picasso

Mint Event Details:

• WL Phase 1: Thursday, February 6, 2025 at 5:00 PM UTC (0.9 AVAX)

• WL Phase 2: Thursday, February 6, 2025 at 7:30 PM UTC (1 AVAX)

Pablo Picasso's late work, characterized by a vibrant palette and a renewed engagement with figuration, offers a fertile ground for artistic exploration. The Face (1966), a striking example of this period, exemplifies the artist's ongoing fascination with the human form, albeit refracted through the lens of his signature cubist approach.

The painting presents a fragmented portrait of a man, his face deconstructed and reassembled in a dynamic interplay of shapes and colors. Picasso employs a bold palette, with vibrant hues of yellow, blue, and red dominating the composition. These colors are not simply applied but are used to define planes and contours, further emphasizing the fragmented nature of the subject. The eyes, rendered with dramatic intensity, are particularly striking, their large, dark pupils and white highlights conveying a sense of both alertness and introspection.

Pablo Picasso's cubist technique is evident throughout the work. The face is fractured into multiple planes, each viewed from a slightly different angle, creating a sense of depth and dynamism. This fragmentation not only challenges traditional notions of portraiture but also serves to emphasize the multifaceted nature of human identity. The subject's features are not presented as a unified whole but rather as a collection of disparate elements, each contributing to a complex and ever-shifting perception.

The Face (1966) is a testament to Picasso's enduring power as an innovator. In this late work, he revisits the familiar territory of portraiture, yet infuses it with a renewed sense of energy and experimentation. The painting serves as a reminder of the artist's relentless pursuit of new forms and expressions, even at the twilight of his career.

Pablo Picasso was a master of his craft, but also a notoriously unpredictable artist when it came to authenticating his own work. He famously refused to sign genuine paintings, sometimes out of artistic principle, other times in frustration. This unpredictability and subsequent family disputes led to a complex and often confusing authentication process over the years.

• Early Years: In the early days, Picasso himself was the sole authority on his work, but his inconsistent approach created challenges.

• The 1980s Committee: To address this, a committee was established in the 1980s to authenticate Picasso's works. However, this committee was disbanded in 1993 due to internal disagreements among Picasso's heirs.

• The Era of Dual Authentication: Following the committee's dissolution, two of Picasso's heirs – his daughter Maya and son Claude – began issuing certificates of authenticity independently. This created confusion and delays for the art market, as auction houses often required certificates from both heirs.

• The Establishment of the Picasso Administration: To streamline the authentication process and provide a unified approach, the Picasso Administration was created.

The untitled work has underwent an official authentication from the Picasso Administration, passing successfully in their review process. The certification of authenticity is discouraged from being shared publicly to uphold the integrity of the overall authentication process. However, we will share the stamps and imprints on the back of the piece, used during it's official review process to validate claims of origin. Each stamp received is from a prominent organization related to Pablo Picasso and the overall authentication process.

One Stamp from Mathias Fels Galerie Paris

Mathias Fels was a famous collector and gallery owner who is known for working with many renowned artists, including Pablo Picasso. The Face was either purchased directly from Pablo Picasso or was later acquired by the gallery, as denoted by this stamp.

Two Stamps with “succ. pablo picasso coll. marina pablo picasso”

These stamps indicate that the artwork belongs to the "Succession of Pablo Picasso" and is from the "collection of Marina Picasso". Marina Picasso was one of Picasso's granddaughters.

One Fundacion Stamp

This stamp refers to the "Fundación Picasso-Museo Nacional Picasso-Colección Museo Reina Sofía" in Madrid, Spain. This institution is dedicated to preserving, studying, and exhibiting Pablo Picasso's artwork.

The full details about the authentication of The Face can be found in our documentation here.