DS Automobiles: The painted goddess
REMEMBER 50 years ago, the Spanish painter and sculptor Pablo Picasso died. Among other things, he attracted attention in the automotive world by painting a then very avant-garde Citroën model DS 19.
Pablo Picasso died in Mougins, France, on April 8, 1973. The genius of the century is said to have produced around 50,000 works during his lifetime. In addition to paintings, the artist also created drawings, graphics, collages, sculptures and ceramic sculptures. So it is not surprising that the Citroën model DS, the Goddess, from 1955 also became a canvas for Picasso.
Autograph on the fender
The story behind the photo of the painted DS goes back to the 1950s. A Mexican journalist visited Picasso for an interview with a new DS 19 painted blue.
After the meeting, the journalist discovered that during a break his car was painted with "Las guirnaldas de la paz" ("The garlands of peace") by Picasso. The painting depicted a family, flowers and a tree. In front of the journalist's eyes, Picasso then signed his work on a fender.
Good business with the unique
After returning to Paris, the journalist bought the DS for $1000 and immediately resold it to a Paris art gallery for $6000. Since then, the trace of the car with the unique specimen has been lost, and the journalist suspects that to this day it is in the hands of a private collector.
The historic DS was the inspiration and starting point for today's DS Automobiles brand. In its still young brand history, the Parisian premium brand lives its love of art. Today, this is reflected, among other things, in a partnership with the Louvre Museum.
