A creative artist in his mid-sixties had a strong desire to own and ca
rry with him a drawing by Picasso-a self-portrait done three days befo
re his death. The drawing created a sense of calm in the patient, such
as had never occurred before with the possession of an object. An app
arent preoccupation with death might have obscured the primary concern
of the artist, which was about the loss of creative power, and it was
for this reason that he wanted to possess the drawing. The idea that
this might be viewed as a transitional object at the end of life is di
scussed.