La Peau de l'Ours

"Never sell the bear's skin before one has killed the beast".

The title comes from a quote from a fable by French poet La Fontaine, called "The Bear and the Two Companions." The fable is about two friends in need of money who sell the skin of a great bear to a furrier before bothering to trap the creature.

This quote was the inspiration behind an early and very successful twentieth century investment fund called the "Skin of the Bear" or La Peau de l'Ours. By investing in Fauves and Cubists (the stars of the Skin of the Bear fund were Picasso and Matisse) and carefully promoting their works, the Skin of the Bear group managed to quadruple its investment between 1903 and 1914.

I do not intend to start a Bear Fund but I like the idea of a group of collectors. I do hope that purchasers and collectors of my works, whoever and wherever you are, will take the time to drop me a line and let me have your contact addresses.