Francis PICABIA - Couple: the kiss, 1949 - Original signed ink drawing

Francis Picabia : Francis Picabia was born in Paris in 1879 and died in 1953. He is the son of a Spanish man born in Cuba, Francisco Picabia and a French woman. He has a comfortable but nevertheless difficult childhood following the death of his mother when he was only seven years old. He grew up with his father and began painting and drawing. He begins his apprenticeship in 1895 at L'Ecole des Arts Décoratifs. At that time, his painting was impressionist, marked by Sisley and Pissaro. His works took on a new dimension around 1909, when he married Gabrielle Buffet, an avant-garde musician, who inspired him in his work throughout his life. It was also during this period that he knew Marcel Duchamp, and created a friendship that would last until the end of his life. From 1910 onwards, Francis Picabia explored different movements such as fauvism, cubism and futurism.