Francis Picabia
Reverence
1914
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Francis Picabia
Reverence
1914
Physical Qualities
Oil and metallic paint on paperboard, 39 x 39 in. (99.1 x 99.1 cm.)
Credit Line
Bequest of Saidie A. May
Object Number
1951.347
Francis Picabia’s abstract composition combines hard-edged mechanical shapes that might belong to a dough-making machine. The title Reverence is inscribed near the top of the circle and “object that does not praise the past” is written in French at the bottom. Metallic paints in gold and silver mimic industrial surfaces, but also bring gilded religious icons to mind. Using the combination of ideal geometric shapes (a circle within a square), Picabia may have meant to parody Leonardo da Vinci’s celebrated Vitruvian Man. Here, however, the artist inserts a machine as the central subject. Picabia painted Reverence in New York during World War I, where, together with his friend Marcel Duchamp, he became a leader of the local Dada art movement.
The Baltimore Museum of Art by bequest, 1951; Saidie A. May, 1950 by purchase; Pinacoteca Gallery, New York; Mme. Buffet-Picabia, Paris
Modern Gallery, New York, "Picabia", 1916, no. 3.
Salon des Independants, Paris, 1920, no. 3555.
Au Sans Pareil, Paris, "Picabia", 1920, no. 4.
Galerie Rene Drouin, Paris, 1949, no. 15.
Pinacotheca, New York, "Frances Picabia", February 1950 - March 1950.
Rose Fried Gallery, New York, "Duchamp and Picabia", 1953, no. 2.
Michigan State University, "Turn of the Century", 1964.
The Baltimore Museum of Art, "1914: Fiftieth Anniversary Exhibition", October 6, 1964-November 15, 1964, no. 186.
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, "Francis Picabia: A Retrospective Exhibition", September 17-December 6, 1970, no. 45; circulated to The Cincinnati Art Museum, The Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, and The Detroit Institute of Arts, through June 27, 1971.
Fine Arts Gallery of San Diego (CA), "Color and Form 1909 - 1914", November 20, 1971-January 2, 1972; circulated to The Oakland Museum (CA) and Seattle Art Museum, through May 7, 1972.
The Baltimore Museum of Art, "Saidie A. May Collection", September 6, 1972-November 22, 1972.
Musee National d'Art Moderne, Paris, "Exposition Francis Picabia", January 22, 1976-March 26, 1976, no. 51.
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, "Modern American Painting 1910 - 1940", June 30, 1977-September 25, 1977, no. 62.
he Arts Council of Great Britain, Hayward Gallery, London, "Dada and Surrealism Reviewed", January 11, 1978-March 28, 1978.
Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, "Making Mischief: Dada Invades New York", November 20, 1996-February 23, 1997, ill. p. 54.
Tate Modern, London, "Century City: Art and Culture in the 20th Century Metropolis", February 1, 2001-April 29, 2001.
Darsie Alexander, Helen Molesworth, and Katy Rothkopf, The Baltimore Museum of Art, "Mechanical Form/Mechanical Vision", December 12, 2001-April 7, 2002.
Musée d'Art Moderne de le Ville de Paris, "Picabia", November 15, 2002-March 16, 2003.
National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C., "Dada", October 5, 2005-January 9, 2006; circulated to the Museum of Modern Art, June 18-September 11, 2006.
Kunsthaus Zurich, "Francis Picabia: A Retrospective", June 3, 2016-September 25, 2016; circulated to the Museum of Modern Art, New York, November 20, 2016-March 19, 2017.
Salon des Independants, Paris, 1920, no. 3555.
Au Sans Pareil, Paris, "Picabia", 1920, no. 4.
Galerie Rene Drouin, Paris, 1949, no. 15.
Pinacotheca, New York, "Frances Picabia", February 1950 - March 1950.
Rose Fried Gallery, New York, "Duchamp and Picabia", 1953, no. 2.
Michigan State University, "Turn of the Century", 1964.
The Baltimore Museum of Art, "1914: Fiftieth Anniversary Exhibition", October 6, 1964-November 15, 1964, no. 186.
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, "Francis Picabia: A Retrospective Exhibition", September 17-December 6, 1970, no. 45; circulated to The Cincinnati Art Museum, The Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, and The Detroit Institute of Arts, through June 27, 1971.
Fine Arts Gallery of San Diego (CA), "Color and Form 1909 - 1914", November 20, 1971-January 2, 1972; circulated to The Oakland Museum (CA) and Seattle Art Museum, through May 7, 1972.
The Baltimore Museum of Art, "Saidie A. May Collection", September 6, 1972-November 22, 1972.
Musee National d'Art Moderne, Paris, "Exposition Francis Picabia", January 22, 1976-March 26, 1976, no. 51.
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, "Modern American Painting 1910 - 1940", June 30, 1977-September 25, 1977, no. 62.
he Arts Council of Great Britain, Hayward Gallery, London, "Dada and Surrealism Reviewed", January 11, 1978-March 28, 1978.
Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, "Making Mischief: Dada Invades New York", November 20, 1996-February 23, 1997, ill. p. 54.
Tate Modern, London, "Century City: Art and Culture in the 20th Century Metropolis", February 1, 2001-April 29, 2001.
Darsie Alexander, Helen Molesworth, and Katy Rothkopf, The Baltimore Museum of Art, "Mechanical Form/Mechanical Vision", December 12, 2001-April 7, 2002.
Musée d'Art Moderne de le Ville de Paris, "Picabia", November 15, 2002-March 16, 2003.
National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C., "Dada", October 5, 2005-January 9, 2006; circulated to the Museum of Modern Art, June 18-September 11, 2006.
Kunsthaus Zurich, "Francis Picabia: A Retrospective", June 3, 2016-September 25, 2016; circulated to the Museum of Modern Art, New York, November 20, 2016-March 19, 2017.
Leah Dickerman, "Dada," Washington: National Gallery of Art, 2005, p.319, ill.
Susan Helen Adler, "Saidie May Pioneer of Early 20th Century Collecting" Baltimore: Stonehouse Design, 2008, p. 252.
Baltimore Museum of Art. The Baltimore Museum of Art: Celebrating a Museum. Baltimore: The Baltimore Museum of Art, 2014.
Mary Sebera and Lauren Ross, "Reverence", New York: Museum of Modern Art, 2017, ill.
Umland, Anne, and Cathérine Hug. Francis Picabia: Our Heads Are Round So Our Thoughts Can Change Direction. New York: The Museum of Modern Art; Zurich: Kunsthaus Zürich, 2016.
Sebera, Mary and Lauren Ross. "Révérence (1915)." Francis Picabia: Materials and Techniques (2017): 19-23.
Mangus, Dereck Stafford. "Close Looks: Picabia's Révérence." Full Bleed, no. 3 (2019): 12-15, ill.
Bonnier, Kerstin Lind and Peter Galassi (editors). "Ulf Linde : Essays from a Lifetime in the Arts." Köln: Verlag der Buchhandlung Walter und Franz König, 2022., ill. p. 181.
Inscribed: Face: Signed in black paint, lower right, "PICABIA" Written in black paint, top center of circle, "REVERENCE" and in black paint, lower center of circle, "Objet qui ne fait pas l'eloge du temps passe" Reverse: Labels from the Pinacoteca Gallery in New York, Lucien Lefebre-Foinet Gallery in Paris, the Le Rondelle frame shop in Paris, a French customs stamp, an illegible circular sticker and the stamp of the manufacturer of the support. UR, chalk: "6658-B" ULQ, canvas, chalk: "squiggle,/3534/4" LLQ, canvas, stamp: ".../...NEXTO/...DING"
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