I See Again in Memory My Dear Udnie
by Francis Picabia, 1914
Details
- Year
- 1914
- Medium
- Oil on canvas
- Size
- 250.2 cm × 198.8 cm
Francis Picabia created this monumental abstraction in 1914, inspired by memories of a Polish dancer named Stacia Napierkowska. He met her aboard a ship to New York; her performances were so provocative she was arrested upon arrival. Over two years, Picabia produced several paintings inspired by her, combining mechanistic and biomorphic forms in dynamic compositions.
The title translates as "I See Again in Memory My Dear Udnie." The large canvas measures over 8 feet tall, filling the viewer's field of vision. The Museum of Modern Art acquired it in 1954, recognizing it as a landmark of early abstract art that bridges Cubism and pure abstraction.
