Le Reve (The Dream)

Pablo Picasso, 1932

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About This Work

Also featuring Marie-Thérèse Walter, 'Le Rêve' (The Dream) is one of Picasso's most sensual and overtly erotic paintings, created during his Surrealist period. It depicts his young mistress asleep in a red armchair, her body composed of soft, undulating curves and painted in brilliant, harmonious colors. The face is famously split into two halves, one of which subtly forms an erect phallus, making the painting a direct and uninhibited manifestation of sexual desire, subconscious dreaming, and the Freudian undertones prevalent in Surrealism. The vibrant palette and fluid lines convey a profound sense of intimacy and vulnerability, capturing the essence of a private, dreamlike state.

Painted in a single afternoon in 1932, 'Le Rêve' is a testament to Picasso's rapid and intuitive creative process, deeply influenced by his passionate affair with Marie-Thérèse Walter. The painting's overt eroticism and dreamlike quality align perfectly with the themes of Surrealism, which explored the subconscious mind and primal desires. Its turbulent ownership history includes a famous incident in 2006 when owner Steve Wynn accidentally damaged the canvas with his elbow, scuttling a planned $139 million sale. After a meticulous restoration, the painting was eventually sold to hedge fund manager Steven A. Cohen in 2013 for $155 million, making it one of the most expensive Picasso paintings ever sold and solidifying its status as a masterpiece of modern art and a symbol of both artistic genius and human frailty.

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