Pablo Picasso

Linocut printed in colours, 1958, signed in blue pencil, inscribed pour mon ami Tabaraud (an artist's proof aside from the edition of 50), published by Galerie Louise Leiris, Paris, on Arches wove paper

The full sheet, a deckle at each edge, in very good, fresh condition, the colours rich and vibrant, a minor horizontal handling crease to the lower left margin only visible in a raking light, framed.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

When Picasso moved to the South of France in 1958, he found himself deprived of the printing facilities for colour lithography provided by his master printer Fernand Mourlot in Paris. Without the close contact with the workshop he found colour lithography time-consuming and frustrating. Craving a print medium which allowed him to work spontaneously and independently in colour, he adopted the medium of the linocut, used locally for posters advertising bull fights. Together with the young printer Arnéra, Picasso re-invented this medium, using the soft lino block to create fluid lines, layering different colours to create intricate patterns and textures.

 

Portrait de Jeune Fille, d'après Cranach is one of Picasso's first colour linocuts and a technical tour de force showing incredible skill and the ability to manipulate the medium. The result is one of his most important and sought-after printed works.

This impression is dedicated to Georges Tabaraud, the director of the daily Communist newspaper on the Côte d'Azur, Le Patriote de Nice et du Sud-Est. Picasso met Tabaraud first in 1946 on a beach of Golfe-Juan and the two men became great friends until Picasso's death in 1973. Picasso supported the Communist cause by donating original prints to Le Patriote in the years between 1957 and 1967 and designing a colour page each year advertising the Nice carnival.