The Fireplace

Pierre Loeb (1897-1964), Paris, France, acquired from the artist [1]

- 1938
André Weil, Paris, France

1938/09/15 - 1970
Joseph Pulitzer Jr. (1913-1993), St. Louis, MO, USA, purchased from André Weil [2]

1970 -
Saint Louis Art Museum, given by Joseph Pulitzer Jr. [3]


Notes:
[1] The fact that the ownership of the painting went directly from Picasso to Loeb is confirmed by a hand-written letter from Mary Callery to Joseph Pulitzer dated March 5, 1939 [SLAM document files]. In the letter, Mary Callery states: "I am interested to see that you have ‘La Cheminee' - such a fine picture. We were all very excited about it when Pierre Loeb inveigled it out of Picasso!"

[2] In the summer/early autumn of 1938, Pulitzer traveled to Europe. On this trip, Pulitzer purchased this painting directly from André Weil in Paris on September 15, 1938 [Chetham, Charles Scott. "Modern Painting, Drawing & Sculpture Collected by Louise and Joseph Pulitzer, Jr." Cambridge, MA: Fogg Art Museum, vol. 1, 1957, cat. 52]. In a letter dated September 20, 1938, Weil reported to Pulitzer that he planned to ship the painting to the United States on September 24, 1938 [SLAM document files].

[3] Minutes of the Acquisitions Committee of the Board of Trustees, City Art Museum, November 20, 1970.