Pablo Picasso

Lithograph with extensive hand-coloring, 1945, one of six proofs of the seventh state (of eighteen), signed in black ink, dated and inscribed 'Pour Celestin dit Tintin'

The print is in good condition. Exposure to light has darkened the paper tone slightly and the light-stain is mottled in the lower right margin corner due to a 1 1/2 inch by 1 1/2 inch square of adhesive remains on the verso. Some slight creasing to the sheet edges.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

On Arches wove paper, with full margins

In 1945, Picasso began work with the Atelier Mourlot Frères, a well-known lithography studio in Paris. In the ensuing years that he worked with Mourlot, Picasso would produce over 400 lithographs, all with the help of master printers Gaston Tutin and Jean Célestine. The latter, also known as "Père Tutin" and "Tintin") said of Picasso: "We gave him a stone and, two minutes later he was at work with crayon and brush. And there was no stopping him. As lithographers we were astounded by him." The Picasso-Mourlot creative partnership resulted in ground-breaking lithographic techniques, never before utilized, and produced some of the finest examples of graphic prints ever created. As Fernand Mourlot recounted: "He looked, he listened, he did the opposite of what he had learnt—and it worked."