1970s Italian Mixed-Media Panels Inspired by Picasso's Marie-Thérèse Portraits

A striking and unusually sophisticated pair of Italian mixed-media architectural wall relief panels dating from the 1970s. Executed as companion compositions, the panels reinterpret imagery associated with Pablo Picasso's celebrated 1932 portraits of Marie-Thérèse Walter, particularly La Lecture (The Reading) and Girl Before a Mirror, two of the most iconic works from the artist's exploration of his muse during one of the most inventive periods of his career. Rather than reproducing specific paintings, these panels transform Picasso's visual language into richly textured relief constructions. Profile and frontal views merge within the same figure, architectural fields of stripes and geometric patterning surround the subjects, and symbolic profile-within-profile motifs appear throughout the compositions. The result is a decorative interpretation of Picasso's Marie-Thérèse imagery viewed through the lens of late twentieth-century Italian design.

The craftsmanship suggests production by a high-quality Italian decorative arts workshop working for the upscale architectural and interior design market during the 1970s and early 1980s. The panels are constructed on substantial carved wood supports with integral, molded borders carved directly from the block rather than separately applied frames. These distinctive borders, finished in alternating bronze and black striping, are an integral part of the design and echo the linear motifs incorporated throughout the compositions, mirroring the high-end Italian lacquer trends popularized by ateliers like Tommaso Barbi and Gabriella Crespi.

Examination of the surfaces reveals a complex layering of studio techniques including hand-laid eggshell mosaic (coquille d’oeuf), metallic silver and gilt finishes, incised decoration, carved and recessed geometric patterning, textured relief elements, and finely worked crackle finishes. Particularly notable is the extensive use of eggshell mosaic within the figures themselves, contrasting with metallic silver grounds built using an intricate, punch-stippled texture designed to dynamically diffuse light. The varied surface treatments create a subtle play of reflection and texture that shifts dramatically with changing illumination, giving the works a sculptural presence beyond that of conventional painting.

While occasionally compared stylistically to the polymaterial experiments of Enrico Baj and other postwar Italian artists, the imagery is more directly indebted to Picasso's celebrated Marie-Thérèse portraits, reinterpreted here as luxurious mixed-media reliefs intended for sophisticated modern interiors. Retaining their original backs and hanging hardware, the pair remains a rare surviving matched pair of large-scale Italian relief panels that successfully combine the decorative arts, sculpture, and painting while paying homage to one of the defining visual languages of twentieth-century modernism.

Condition Report
Overall Condition: Very Good / Excellent vintage condition – Beautifully preserved with strong visual depth and structurally sound.

Surface Artistry: All original hand-set eggshell mosaic tile fragments remain tightly secured within their lacquered matrices, completely free of modern lifting or losses. The incised geometric details and deep-set crackle finishes remain distinct and unbroken.

Metallic Finishes: The metallic silver, gilt, and textured bronze passages show authentic variations, light superficial rubbing, and minor, stable age patina that enhance the vintage character of the pair.

Frames: The integral, carved-wood striped borders are structurally stable, free of structural cracks or warp, and retain their original backings and structural hanging hardware.

Dimensions:
Each panel: 43.5 inches high x 23.5 inches wide
Overall displayed as a pair: approximately 47 inches wide x 43.5 inches high