Picasso and Joyce au Café de Flore as told to me by Mark Mortimer au Café de Flore

Micheal Farrell , Irish, 1940-2000

Title

Date1992

MediumEtching on paper

Credit LinePresented, Dr Marie Bourke, 2015

Object numberNGI.2015.22

DescriptionThis print is part of a series entitled 'Le Recontre' that Farrell began in the mid-1980s which explore the idea that Picasso and Joyce might have met in Paris in 1922 in the Café de Flore. Farrell was a great admirer of Joyce's writing and felt a particular affinity given their shared identity as Irishmen in exile. Samuel Beckett, who Farrell queried as to the possibility of such a meeting taking place, is said to have replied: "Joyce never mentioned that unlikely party to me". Farrell later spoke to Paris based architect Michael Mortimer who was adamant that Joyce and Picasso did in fact meet. The unlikely story goes that the artist and writer did not speak but instead, Picasso created small sculptures and passed them on to Joyce. In this print, Picasso, cigarette in mouth, can be seen at a table making objects out of card. In many of Farrell's imaginings of these meetings he features Joyce's tie, decorated with Celtic interlace pattern.
ProvenancePurchased, Taylor Galleries, 2014; presented, Dr Marie Bourke, Former Keeper and Head of Education, National Gallery of Ireland, 2015Exhibition HistoryTaylor Galleries, Dublin, 2014