PICASSO - Unique Proofs from His Ateliers - Galerie Michael
PICASSO - Unique Proofs from His Ateliers - Galerie Michael
PICASSO - Unique Proofs from His Ateliers - Galerie Michael
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<strong>PICASSO</strong><br />
<strong>Unique</strong> <strong>Proofs</strong> From <strong>His</strong> <strong>Ateliers</strong>
Front and back covers,<br />
Tête de Femme au Chapeau/Paysage avec Baigneurs (Head of a Woman with a Hat/Landscape with Bathers) , 1962<br />
Color linocut on Arches, Annotated in pencil by the printer ‘No. 3 Grande Tête au Chapeau - 2 Couleurs - Gravure inachevée de Picasso Linogravure<br />
- Imprimerie Arnéra - Vallauris’<br />
Third state of three; described as “Tirage inachevé” by Baer. Though Baer records ninety-six such impressions (none signed by the artist), the<br />
impressions were never released for sale. Baer records one impression in the Arnéra archives. Picasso designed the subject so that it could be<br />
read either as the head of a woman (vertically) or as a landscape (horizontally).<br />
Apart <strong>from</strong> the current impression, the only other impressions on the market outside this source have been <strong>from</strong> the Picasso estate. Stamped<br />
in ink verso ‘Imprimerie Arnéra Archives / Non Signé’<br />
Baer 1284.III.A . 911414.<br />
25 1/4 x 20 3/4 inches
<strong>Unique</strong> <strong>Proofs</strong> <strong>from</strong> Picasso’s <strong>Ateliers</strong><br />
Picasso was a major innovator in the medium of printmaking. He altered his methods to achieve singular expressive<br />
qualities in his multiples. He worked with numerous ateliers over the decades, including Arnéra, Mourlot,<br />
Crommelynck, Frelaut, Lacourière, Desjobert, and Fort. <strong>His</strong> proofs illustrate the unique working relationship Picasso<br />
maintained with his printers and their ateliers. Their craftsmanship made Picasso’s extensive and revolutionary<br />
experimentation with the media possible. Works created in collaboration with the great printers represent the<br />
breadth of Picasso’s considerable oeuvre in linocuts, etching, and lithography and allow us to examine the working<br />
process behind it.<br />
Picasso worked in an exceptional variety of media, and even within the confines of printmaking, he became a<br />
master of the craft. Among the printers he worked with, Roger Lacouriere and Hidalgo Arnéra in particular acted as<br />
collaborators in Picasso’s maturation as a printmaker. In the end, however, Picasso often ended up astonishing the<br />
printmakers themselves with his focus and inventiveness.<br />
The proofs specifically are a unique insight into the development of Picasso’s vision, whether toward a final portrait<br />
or illustration or simply an artistic exploration of the object and theme. These are the artist’s working materials, and<br />
the products of the actual process of collaboration with the printers. Some, such as the first plate of the Portrait<br />
of Vollard <strong>from</strong> the Vollard Suite, were ultimately put aside and reworked (page 10). These offer an insight to the<br />
artist’s goal, both in the impressions that strayed <strong>from</strong> his intent for the edition, and the successive reworkings.<br />
Other proofs are pure experimentation. There are several versions of the linocut Danse Nocturne Avec une Hibou;<br />
most of the first and second state proofs were preparatory, however, five proofs of the second state in alternative<br />
colors seem to exist as experiments (page 4). The ink was rinsed under a showerhead for an unusual textural effect.<br />
Beyond simple finishes, Picasso pursued true innovation in the media. Arnéra encouraged him to work with a<br />
single plate in his linocuts, a subtractive method <strong>from</strong> the 1940s that Picasso developed to its full potential. The<br />
destructive nature of the process, in which a single plate is carved further to print each successive state and color,<br />
means that the proofs, intermediary stages and subsequently the final states, can never be revisited. As such, the<br />
proofs are unique snapshots as much as the final edition. In other media, such as lithography, the ability to revisit a<br />
state was an advantage Picasso prized. In lithographic series such as The Departure and Femme au Miroir (page 7),<br />
the preservation of the various states allowed for multiple explorations of the same image.<br />
Each of the proofs is a unique manifestation of this exploration of the medium and subjects as art objects. Many<br />
of the themes—the minotaur, the bullfight, Marie-Therese herself and the other women—are among the same<br />
that would fascinate Picasso across the years and media. The ideas and people they represented are superceded<br />
by Picasso’s vision and to the process of interpretation. The printers and ateliers who worked with Picasso likewise<br />
lent their craftsmanship and technical guidance to a collaboration that ultimately expressed Picasso’s own unique<br />
interpretation of the medium itself as well as the image.<br />
1
2<br />
Arnéra<br />
Picasso achieved some of his most innovative work materially in the medium<br />
of linocut, working closely over a decade with the printer Hidalgo Arnéra. He<br />
experimented with the printing methods, <strong>from</strong> the physical carving and inking of the<br />
plates to the chemical makeup of the inks, and created about 200 linocuts in this<br />
period. They met while Picasso was living in the south of France and was looking for<br />
a way to eliminate the time lost between working on a print and receiving the proof<br />
<strong>from</strong> the ateliers in Paris. Arnéra would run the proofs back and forth to Picasso’s<br />
studio in Cannes, printing the proofs in the morning so that Picasso could continue<br />
working when he woke.<br />
Arnéra was an involved collaborator in Picasso’s experimentation. He encouraged<br />
the artist to try a subtractive method of one-plate printing when he became<br />
frustrated with the slowness of multiple plates. While Picasso had occasionally used<br />
the linocut technique before to a limited extent, his previous efforts, like those<br />
of most artists using the method, essentially mimicked the woodcut. <strong>His</strong> posters<br />
tended to feature large, flat color fields and a strong sense of the carved line. As<br />
he worked with Arnéra, however, he developed the medium to its full expressive<br />
potential, using methods as unique as sanding the plate for texture and wetting an<br />
inked sheet under the shower to achieve particular textural effects.<br />
Right,<br />
Tête de <strong>His</strong>trion (Head of an Actor), 1965<br />
Color linocut on watermarked Arches paper.<br />
Trial proof of the definitive form, before the edition of 220. Published by<br />
Musée des Augustins de Toulouse. Baer records only two to three such<br />
impressions. Stamped in ink verso ‘Imprimerie Arnéra Archives/Non signé’.<br />
Bloch 1849, Baer 1360.A. 911413. 20 7/8 x 25 1/4 inches.<br />
L-R: Hidalgo Arnéra, Pablo Picasso,<br />
and Roland Penrose.<br />
Left<br />
Portrait d’Homme à la Fraise, Variation d’aprè El Greco<br />
(Portrait of a Man in a Ruff, Variation after El Greco), 1962<br />
Color linocut on Arches wove with watermark.<br />
Inscribed in pencil by the printer, Hidalgo Arnéra, ‘93’<br />
‘Epreuve d’essai’ (trial proof) of the definitive form <strong>from</strong> before the edition<br />
of 50. Baer records two to three such impressions. Published by <strong>Galerie</strong><br />
Louise Leiris, Paris; Printed by Imprimerie Arnéra. Stamped in ink verso ‘Imprimerie<br />
Arnéra Archives/Non signé’. Bloch 1148, Baer 1320.B.a. 911411.<br />
21 x 15 1/2 inches.
Right,<br />
Pique I, (Pike I) 1959<br />
Color linocut on ‘offset-fort’<br />
paper, with margins.<br />
A working proof in black<br />
and brown over a light<br />
brown background, <strong>from</strong><br />
before the edition of 50 for<br />
<strong>Galerie</strong> Louise Leiris, 1960.<br />
Baer records two or three<br />
such impressions. Printed<br />
by Arnéra. Bloch 944,<br />
Baer 1219.II.A. 911372.<br />
6 1/2 x 8 7/8 inches<br />
Left,<br />
Picador et Taureau (Picador and Bull), 1959<br />
Color linocut on paper.<br />
‘Epreuve d’essai’ (trial proof) of the fourth and final<br />
state, <strong>from</strong> before the edition of 50. Baer records three<br />
such impressions. Printed by Arnéra. Stamped verso<br />
‘Imprimerie Arnéra Archives/ Non signé’. Bloch 907,<br />
Baer 1229.IV.A. 911410. 20 7/8 x 25 1/4 inches.<br />
Above,<br />
Picador debout avec son Cheval et une Femme<br />
(Standing Picador with Horse and a Woman), 1959<br />
Color linocut on paper.<br />
Trial proof of the defintive form; aside <strong>from</strong> the edition<br />
of 50. Published by <strong>Galerie</strong> Louise Leiris, Paris. Ink stamp<br />
verso “Imprimerie Arnéra Archives / Non Signé”. One<br />
of four trial proofs printed in caramel brown on a black<br />
ground. Bloch 913, Baer 1238.A. 911210.<br />
20 7/8 x 25 1/8 inches.<br />
Left,<br />
Pique II (Pike II), 1959<br />
Color linocut on paper.<br />
A working proof of the first state of the “Plateau<br />
Secondaire” in orange and the first state of the “Plateau<br />
principal” in brown over a light brown background.<br />
Printed <strong>from</strong> the larger of two background blocks used.<br />
Aside <strong>from</strong> the edition of 50. Baer records eight such<br />
impressions. Ink stamp verso, “Imprimerie Arnéra<br />
Archives / Non Signé.” Bloch 911, Baer 1228 (B.a).<br />
911204. 20 7/8 x 25 1/4 inches<br />
3
4<br />
Arnéra<br />
Picasso often returned to and developed extensively the themes that interested him in all his art forms, <strong>from</strong> the weeping<br />
women to the bullfight. However, even with specific compositions he often returned and experimented with various effects.<br />
Danse Nocturne avec un Hibou (Nocturnal Dance with an Owl) is one such composition, in which Picasso varied the colors and<br />
effects of his proofs as experimentation. The first state, printed in yellow on a black ground (formed by an uncarved plate),<br />
is possibly one of a kind, while the impressions printed in white on a black ground were rinsed after printing, giving each a<br />
unique final surface.<br />
Similar authentications and annotations by Arnéra appear on many of the linocuts in the Musée National Picasso, “La Guerre<br />
et la Paix”, Vallauris. Several of the Arnéra inscriptions <strong>from</strong> this collection are illustrated in the exhibition catalogue “Picasso à<br />
Vallauris / Linogravures”, Musée National Picasso, “La Guerre et la Paix”, Vallauris, 16 June-19 November 2001, ill. 2, 3, 4, 8.<br />
Danse Nocturne avec un Hibou, 1959<br />
Color linocut on Arches paper.<br />
First state of two. A proof printed in yellow on a black background,<br />
giving a mottled greenish cast. Inscribed by the printer “Linogravure<br />
de Picasso - 305 - Les danseurs au Hibou/ 1959/ Premier Etat/<br />
19.11.59”. Apart <strong>from</strong> the unannotated proof noted by Baer. Ink<br />
stamp verso “Imprimerie Arnéra Archives / Non signé”. Bloch 936,<br />
Baer 1256. 911207. 21 x 25 1/4 inches.<br />
Danse Nocturne avec un Hibou, 1959<br />
Color linocut on Arches watermarked paper.<br />
Trial proof of the second and final state. Apart <strong>from</strong> the edition<br />
of 50. Signed and anotated by the printer “Les Danseurs au Hibou<br />
/ Lingravure Originale de Picasso / H Arnéra”. Ink stamp verso<br />
“Imprimerie Arnéra Archives/ Non Signé”. Printed Imprimerie<br />
Arnéra; Published <strong>Galerie</strong> L. Leiris, Paris. Bloch 936, Baer 1256.II.A.<br />
911201. 21 x 25 1/4 inches.<br />
Left,<br />
Danse nocturne avec un Hibou, 1959<br />
Color linocut on Arches.<br />
‘Epreuve d’essai’ of the final state but printed in a different color<br />
combination than the definitive edition. This impression is in ‘blanc<br />
crème’ over black. Bloch 936, Baer 1256.II.C. 911208.<br />
21 x 25 1/4 inches.
Jacqueline au Chapeau Noir (Jacqueline in a Black Hat), 1962<br />
Color linocut on Arches cream wove paper with Arches watermark<br />
Pencil signed ‘Picasso’ lower right, Inscribed ‘épreuve d’artiste’ lower left<br />
One of approximately 35 artist’s proofs, aside <strong>from</strong> the numbered edition of 50. The third and final state. A superb impression with vibrant<br />
colors. Printed by Arnéra, published by <strong>Galerie</strong> Louise Leiris, 1963.<br />
Bloch 1028, Baer 1311.III.B.b. 912041. 25 x 20 3/4 inches.<br />
5
6<br />
Mourlot<br />
Fernand Mourlot was an important collaborator in Picasso’s post-war work. <strong>His</strong> atelier had a long<br />
heritage of printmaking beginning with a commercial print shop in the mid-1850s. It was Fernand<br />
who would move the atelier towards fine art, eventually working with the most important artists<br />
in Paris, <strong>from</strong> Manet to Miró. While he began with fine art posters for artists such as Daumier,<br />
he was also pivotal in fostering the development of the editioned print. This, in turn, led to a<br />
greater emphasis on the expressive artistic focus of a print, rather than the communicative focus<br />
inherent in a poster. Mourlot’s catalog of Picasso’s lithographs <strong>from</strong> all ateliers includes 407<br />
images, spanning a period of fifty years <strong>from</strong> 1919 to 1969.<br />
Picasso, in typical fashion, concentrated a majority of this work into an intense period of regular Fernand Mourlot,<br />
collaboration, in the mid-to-late 1940s. He began working with Mourlot in November of 1945, with a portrait of Françoise Gilot<br />
as the first of over 300 lithographs he would create with the atelier. Picasso would spend entire days in the studio, obsessively<br />
reworking his images. <strong>His</strong> approach was unusual for the medium. He treated the stone much as he had his earlier engraving<br />
plates and linoleum blocks, in that he preferred to rework a single stone.<br />
Le Modèle et deux Personnages<br />
(Model and Two People), 1954<br />
Color lithograph on Arches paper.<br />
One of five artist’s proofs aside <strong>from</strong> the<br />
signed and numbered edition of 50. A very<br />
rare, early lithographic work, with beautiful<br />
painterly colors. The order of the colors<br />
printed indicated in the margin. Dated in<br />
plate. Provenance: From the collection of<br />
Mourlot. Bloch 759, Mourlot 258. 911268.<br />
19 3/4 x 25 1/2 inches.<br />
Portrait de Famille II (Family Portait II), 1962<br />
Lithograph on Arches wove paper, with full margins.<br />
One of only a few, rare artist’s proofs, aside <strong>from</strong> the signed and<br />
numbered edition of 50. Provenance: Mourlot collection.<br />
Bloch 1030, Mourlot 384. 130046.<br />
24 5/8 x 19 1/8 inches.
Femme au Miroir (Woman at the Mirror), 1950<br />
Color Lithograph, Inscribed in pencil verso.<br />
First state. From a set of only 5 impressions. There was no edition.<br />
Provenance: Private Collection, US; Mourlot Collection, France.<br />
Mourlot 197. 402668.<br />
15 1/8 x 22 3/8 inches<br />
Above,<br />
The Departure, 1951<br />
Lithograph<br />
The seventh state of eleven.<br />
Baer 686; Mourlot 201. 908473.<br />
13 3/4 x 17 1/4 inches.<br />
Right,<br />
The Departure, 1951<br />
Color Lithograph on Rives paper<br />
The forth state of eleven. Baer 686;<br />
Mourlot 201. 908470.<br />
13 3/4 x 17 1/4 inches.<br />
Femme au Miroir (Woman at the Mirror), 1950<br />
Lithograph, Inscribed in pencil verso.<br />
Proof of the black stone of the third state. From a set of only 5<br />
impressions. There was no edition. Provenance: Private Collection,<br />
US; Mourlot Collection, France. Mourlot 197. 402670.<br />
15 1/8 x 22 3/8 inches<br />
Left and below<br />
The Departure, 1951<br />
Lithograph on Rives paper<br />
This set (two pictured) includes Mourlot’s first, second and second<br />
intermediate states (in sanguine over light grey background),<br />
third, forth and fifth states (with additional ochre stone), sixth and<br />
seventh states (with additional ochre stone), eighth state (black<br />
stone only), ninth state (new black plate made with ink on zinc),<br />
and the final state (a proof <strong>from</strong> two earlier plates, zinc with ochre<br />
and black on zinc). Mourlot notes five proofs of each state except<br />
the eighth, aside <strong>from</strong> the edition of 50. Provenance: Fernand<br />
Mourlot. Baer 686; Mourlot 201.<br />
13 3/4 x 17 1/4 inches.<br />
7
8<br />
Mourlot<br />
Tête de jeune fille (Head of a Young Girl), 1945.<br />
A set of the 10 states of this early image (three pictured). There are two trial proofs of the first state, 18 artist reserved proofs of each state,<br />
and 50 signed and numbered works of the tenth and final state. Created November 22, 1945. Verso inscriptions: 46389/M. 9 V - 30A/63 lower<br />
right; Marina Picasso Collection blue oval stamp lower right. Bloch 393; Mourlot 9. 12 1/2 x 10 inches.<br />
Tête de jeune fille<br />
The fifth state. Scraper and crayon on<br />
stone was used to print this state. 908778.<br />
Head of a Young Girl, 1949<br />
Lithograph on Arches paper.<br />
Inscribed in pencil lower right ‘M 147’.<br />
First and only state. Mourlot notes only 5 proofs; there was no<br />
edition. Provenance: Mourlot personal collection, a rare reserved<br />
proof. Mourlot 147, Not in Bloch. 403027.<br />
15 5/8 x 11 11/16 inches<br />
Tête de jeune fille<br />
The second state. Brush and scraper on<br />
stone was used to print this state. 908779.<br />
Tête de jeune fille<br />
The ninth state. Brush and scraper on stone<br />
was used to print this state. 908783.<br />
Jeune Femme (Young Girl), 1949<br />
Wash drawing on zinc on Arches.<br />
Inscribed ‘M 153 Avant le texte en rouge’ lower right margin.<br />
One of five or six trial proofs; before the edition of 100 with red<br />
text for the “Centenary Album of Mourlot Printing Works”, 1952.<br />
Extremely rare in this form. Bloch 1836, Mourlot 153. 911409.<br />
15 1/2 x 11 3/4 inches
Tête de Jeune Fille (Head of a Young Girl), 1947<br />
Lithograph on Arches paper<br />
Third of seven states. Sixth of six copies for the printer. Initials of printer, Fernand Mourlot, state name and numbering verso.<br />
Bloch 423, Mourlot 68. 911933.<br />
25 3/4 x 19 1/2 inches<br />
9
10<br />
Vollard/Lacourière<br />
Ambroise Vollard was one of the most influential figures in modern art in Paris. A<br />
publisher, gallerist and collector, he worked with many of the greatest artists of the late<br />
19th and 20th century, Renoir, Cézanne and Gaugin, and later, Picasso. He helped shape<br />
his promotion and establishing of the avant-garde artists of his day and of the previous<br />
generation. Beyond his work as a gallerist, he wrote artist biographies and encouraged<br />
many to take on new and extended projects.<br />
<strong>His</strong> first exhibition of Picasso’s work took place in 1901, and continued through the 1930s.<br />
In 1930, Picasso began work on The Vollard Suite, 100 etchings created over seven years<br />
exploring themes of classicism that enthralled Picasso throughout his career. The suite<br />
ends with three portraits of Vollard. The printer Roger Lacouriere pulled the impressions.<br />
Portrait of Vollard IV, 1937<br />
Etching and aquatint on Montval laid paper.<br />
Inscribed lower left in pencil, likely by Lacourière, “A Vollard<br />
par Picasso”, lower right “planche refusé”. One of a few proof<br />
impressions of the first state of two. No edition of this plate.<br />
Bloch 1322, Baer 620. 910824. 13 5/8 x 9 5/8 inches.<br />
Left,<br />
Portrait of Vollard, II, 1937<br />
Aquatint on Montval laid paper<br />
with the Vollard watermark.<br />
Plate 98 <strong>from</strong> the Vollard Suite.<br />
A rare proof aside <strong>from</strong> the<br />
total edition of 310. Bloch 231.<br />
908769. 13 1/2 x 9 1/2 inches.<br />
Right,<br />
Portrait of Vollard, III, 1937<br />
Etching on Montval laid paper<br />
with the Vollard watermark.<br />
Plate 100 <strong>from</strong> the Vollard Suite.<br />
A rare and early proof aside<br />
<strong>from</strong> the total edition of 310.<br />
Bloch 233. 908770.<br />
13 1/2 x 9 1/2 inches.<br />
Ambroise Vollard
Minotaure Aveugle Guidé par une Petite Fille aux Fleurs<br />
(Blind Minotaur Guided by a Little Girl with Flowers), 1934<br />
Drypoint etching on Montval laid paper with ‘Picasso’ watermark.<br />
Pencil signed ‘Picasso’ lower right. Twelfth and final state. From the edition of 260, after steelfacing and cancelling of “La Mort de Marat.”<br />
Printed in 1939 for the Edition Vollard. There was also an edition of 50, as well as proofs of this and the preceding eleven states.<br />
Etching created on the large plate used for “La Mort de Marat” (The Death of Marat), upside down upper left of the current composition. The<br />
first of several etchings of the subject and concurrent with a series of similar drawings, the minotaur was one of Picasso’s favorite themes,<br />
and one of the themes of the Vollard Suite. Provenance: Laure Wyss, Zurich.<br />
Bloch 222, Baer 434.B.d. 911610. 9 7/8 x 13 5/8 inches.<br />
11
12<br />
Bacchus et Femme Nue Entendue<br />
(Bacchus and Reclining Female Nude), 1934<br />
Engraving and drypoint on Montval laid paper with Vollard<br />
watermark.<br />
Third and final state. From the unnumbered edition of 55<br />
printed by Lacouriere in 1942 without steelfacing. Total<br />
tirage 55 plus proofs. Published by Vollard, Paris. Brigitte<br />
Baer identifies the woman as Marie-Therese, and titles this<br />
“Bacchus et Marie-Thérèse (en Ariane?).” Bloch 284; Baer 432.<br />
III.c. 911652. 11 1/4 x 8 3/4 inches.<br />
Trois Femmes Nues et une Coupe d’Anémones<br />
(Three Women and a Bowl of Anemones), 1933<br />
Etching on Montval paper with Picasso watermark.<br />
Pencil signed ‘Picasso’ lower right.<br />
Dated in the plate, lower right, ‘Paris, 6 Avril XXXIII’ (pulled in<br />
reverse). From the watermarked edition of 260, Plate 67 <strong>from</strong><br />
the Vollard Suite, printed after steelfacing by Lacourière in<br />
1939. There was also an additional edition of 50, as well as 7<br />
proofs after steelfacing and 1 proof before steelfacing.<br />
Bloch 176, Baer 329.B.d. 911564.<br />
14 1/4 x 11 5/8 inches.
Lacourière<br />
Picasso began working with Roger Lacouriere in 1934, a major step in his development as<br />
a printmaker. Lacouriere introduced him more thoroughly to the aquatint technique and<br />
a deeper use of intaglio. Picasso would work on major projects with him, most famously<br />
the Minotauromachy, as well as the Vollard Suite. Many of the themes he explored in this<br />
period were influenced by the chaos in Picasso’s personal life as well as an anxiety about<br />
the onset of civil war in his homeland. Minotaurs, Spanish motifs and a look at the past are<br />
ever-present. Lacouriere was the first printer to truly act as a collaborator with Picasso, in<br />
the sense of working in-depth with Picasso to gain the technical means of expression equal<br />
to what he could already achieve in painting.<br />
En la Taberna (In the Tavern), 1934<br />
Etching on Richard de bas Auvergne paper.<br />
Stamped signature lower right.<br />
Numbered ‘38/50’ lower left. From the edition<br />
of 50 published by <strong>Galerie</strong> Louise Leiris.<br />
One of 69 impressions, plus proofs, printed<br />
by Atelier Lacouriere et Frélaut in 1961<br />
before steelfacing; aside <strong>from</strong> the earlier<br />
proofs printed by Lacouriere.<br />
Bloch 286, Baer 439.C.b. 911666. 9 1/4 x 11<br />
3/4 inches.<br />
Roger Lacouriere<br />
Femmes d’Algers, D’Aprés Delacroix. VIII<br />
(Algerian Women, After Delacroix), 1955<br />
Sugarlift aquatint on Rives wove paper.<br />
Annotated ‘2e etat’, the second state of five. Extremely rare, it is one of<br />
three proofs of this state. A total of 28 images exist for all 5 states: 3 images<br />
in the first state, 3 images in the 2nd state, 7 images in 3rd state, 8 images in<br />
4th state, 7 images in 5th and final state. Dated ‘31-1-55’ in plate. This work<br />
by Picasso was never editioned. Baer 917.II. 911316. 11 x 13 5/8 inches.<br />
13
14<br />
Crommelynck<br />
Aldo Crommelynck first met Picasso as a rising printmaker<br />
in the Atelier Lacouriere. As with Lacouriere previously,<br />
Picasso would create extensive series in close collaboration<br />
with Crommelynck. The 347 Series, named for the number<br />
of etchings created for it, was completed in 1968 and<br />
caused some stir in Paris with its often erotic themes. The<br />
156 Series, created between 1970 and 1972, was the last<br />
major print series Picasso created.<br />
Crommelynck began his relationships with many of the<br />
Aldo Crommelynck<br />
preeminent modern artists there, such as Miró, Léger and Matisse. He left the atelier in 1955, having already established<br />
himself as a creative and technically meticulous printer. Along with his brothers, he opened his atelier in Paris, and continued to<br />
work with Picasso. In fact, when the artist moved to Mougins, Aldo and Piero set up a printing workshop nearby to accomodate<br />
his work, and would print all of Picasso’s etchings until the end of the artist’s life in 1973.<br />
Untitled (From 347 Suite), 1968<br />
Sugar-lift aquatint on Rives BFK wove paper.<br />
Plate 123 <strong>from</strong> the ‘347 Suite’ with full margins.<br />
One of five proofs before steelfacing, prior to the edition of 50. There were also 17 artist’s proofs after steelfacing.<br />
Listed in the Picasso Archives, Paris, as inventory number 29050.<br />
Provenance: Pablo Picasso; Picasso Family Collection with oval stamp verso. Bloch 1604, Baer 1619.A. 905332.<br />
19 1/2 x 13 1/4 inches.
Sable Mouvant: Peintre et Modèle Accoudé<br />
(Quicksand: Painter and Leaning Model), 1964<br />
Aquatint and drypoint on Japon paper.<br />
The only state printed on extremely thin Japon paper. A<br />
proof aside <strong>from</strong> the edition and the proofs noted by Baer.<br />
Numbered and dated in plate “III 8.2.64” upper right.<br />
Bloch 1187, Baer 1157.B. 911457. 15 1/8 x 10 7/8 inches.<br />
Below,<br />
Sable Mouvant: Deux Femmes au Miroir<br />
(Quicksand: Two Women at the Mirror), 1965<br />
Aquatint, etching and drypoint on Japon ancien.<br />
Third and final state on paper-thin ‘Japon ancien’ paper. The lower left<br />
corner is cut, indicating that this was probably a “mise en place” proof<br />
(preparatory proof), per notes in Baer. Aside <strong>from</strong> the editions of 60 and 20,<br />
illustrating the suite ‘Sable Mouvant’ by Pierre Reverdy; Published by Louis<br />
Broder Éditeur. Bloch 1185, Baer 1154.III.B.d (Note 2). 911455.<br />
15 1/8 x 10 7/8 inches<br />
Sable Mouvant: Peintre Debout à son Chevalet, avec un Modèle<br />
(Quicksand: Standing Painter at his Easel, with a Model), 1964<br />
Aquatint on Japon paper.<br />
The only state on extremely thin laid Japon paper. A proof aside <strong>from</strong> the edition<br />
and the proofs noted by Baer. Numbered and dated in plate “II 8.2.64” lower right.<br />
Bloch 1186, Baer 1155.B. 911456.<br />
15 1/8 x 10 7/8 inches<br />
15
16<br />
Belle jeune femme à sa toilette<br />
(Beautiful Young Girl at Her Vanity), 1971<br />
Etching on wove paper.<br />
Plate 144 <strong>from</strong> Series 156. One of 15 proofs aside <strong>from</strong> the<br />
numbered edition of 50. Bloch 1998, Baer 2008.B.b. 911106.<br />
14 3/8 x 19 1/4 inches.<br />
Sur le Scene: Viellard Barbu S’Appretant<br />
a Poignarder une Femme Dans Son Lit,<br />
1966<br />
Etching and aquatint on Rives.<br />
Signed with atelier stamp lower right.<br />
Annotated in pencil lower left. Plate <strong>from</strong><br />
the 60 Series. One of three proofs before the<br />
steelfacing and beveling of the plate; apart<br />
<strong>from</strong> the regular edition of 50 plus 15 artist<br />
proofs. Bloch 1421; Baer 1449.A. 911741.<br />
8 3/4 x 12 3/4 inches.
Le Peintre et son Modèle (<strong>from</strong> Dans l’Atelier),<br />
(The Painter and <strong>His</strong> Model, <strong>from</strong> In the Atelier), 1963<br />
Etching on Japon Nacre paper.<br />
Signed in pencil lower right and inscribed ‘e.a.’ lower left.<br />
A proof <strong>from</strong> after the edition of 150 plus proofs printed as a frontispiece to Le Peintre et son Mòdele, 1965. Aside <strong>from</strong> the 10 proofs on<br />
Japon noted by Baer. Provenance: London Arts Group, Detroit; Acquired <strong>from</strong> a private collection in Dallas, 1970.<br />
Bloch 1139; Baer 1136.C. 911935.<br />
12 x 11 inches<br />
17
18<br />
Frelaut<br />
Jacques Frelaut revived the Atelier Lacouriere in 1957. The son of Jean<br />
Frelaut, a French printmaker and friend of Lacouriere who had studied at the<br />
Ecole des Beaux-Arts at the turn of the century. Jacques directed the atelier<br />
beside his brother, Roger. Artists such as Chagall and Miro worked with the<br />
atelier known for its technical precision. Picasso worked with Jacques on<br />
some of his most evocative etched portraits of women, the energy of the<br />
precise but gestural line rendered among soft aquatint resembling ink washes.<br />
Right,<br />
Centaure et homme barbu (Centaur with Bearded Man),<br />
1961<br />
Sugar-lift aquatint in color on Arches wove paper.<br />
Signature stamp lower right.<br />
Annotated in pencil “Gravure inedite,” lower left. An<br />
extraordinarily rare and important proof, one of only two<br />
printed by Frelaut with brown background, <strong>from</strong> a total of six<br />
impressions. No edition. Provenance: Frelaut; Pablo Picasso,<br />
by descent through the Picasso Family Collection, bearing the<br />
oval stamp verso, Inv. 25973 recorded in the Picasso Archives<br />
in Paris. Baer 1084B . 910117. 10 1/2 x 14 inches<br />
Jacques Frelaut in studio<br />
Sabartes avec deux femmes, (Sabartes with Two Women) c.1959<br />
Drypoint on Rives wove paper.<br />
Signature stamp lower right.<br />
Annotated in pencil, “Gravure inedite ler Etat” lower left. One of two<br />
known proofs of the first state of eight. There was no edition of the image<br />
in any state. Provenance: Pablo Picasso; by descent to Marina Picasso; Picasso<br />
Family Collection. Bearing an oval stamp verso, Inv. 25949, recorded<br />
in the Picasso Archives in Paris.<br />
Baer 1060.I. 912044. 9 3/4 x 7 3/4 inches.
Sculpture. Tête de Marie-Therese,<br />
(Sculpture. Head of Marie-Therese) 1934<br />
Etching and drypoint on Richard de Bas laid paper.<br />
Stamped signature lower right. Numbered ‘12/50’ lower left.<br />
The second and final state, <strong>from</strong> the edition of 50 published by <strong>Galerie</strong> Louise Leiris in 1981, printed by Frelaut after steelfacing.<br />
After the proofs and edition of 55 printed by Lacouriere in 1942. Total tirage 137.<br />
Bloch 276, Baer 417.II.C.b.1. 912045.<br />
12 3/8 x 9 inches.<br />
19
20<br />
Desjobert<br />
The Atelier Desjobert in Paris was founded by lithographer Edmond Desjobert<br />
and eventually passed on to his son, Jacques. Edmond worked with Picasso<br />
on some of his earliest lithographs. He would later print for Dali, Chagall and<br />
Matisse, as well as many emerging artists. As a result his workshop became a<br />
meeting place for many artists in Paris, particularly foreigners and those new<br />
to the medium. He was open to experimentation in the lithography process,<br />
including the chine collé method and working with washes on the stone.<br />
Fort<br />
Edmond Desjobert<br />
Le peintre et son modèle<br />
(The Painter and <strong>His</strong> Model),1929-1930<br />
Lithograph on BFK Rives velin with full margins.<br />
An artist’s proof outside the numbered edition of 50 for the book by<br />
Eugenio d’Ors, “Pablo Picasso.” Bloch 98, Baer 247.b, Mourlot XXVII.<br />
910859. 9 1/2 x 11 1/2 inches<br />
Picasso would come to work with several printmakers through Vollard. Along<br />
with Lacouriere, Picasso met Louis Fort, with whom he became close friends.<br />
Fort worked with Vollard on many of his large editions of prints, facilitated<br />
by his use of the technique of steelfacing. It likewise allowed Picasso to print<br />
larger editions while working with Vollard. Aside <strong>from</strong> increasing his already<br />
considerable exposure as an artist, this appealed to Picasso’s aspired-to<br />
populist tendencies.<br />
Picasso bought Fort’s printing press when the printmaker retired, a testament<br />
to their friendship as well as Picasso’s enjoyment of the process in the<br />
printmaker’s atelier.<br />
Deux Femmes Nues II (Two Female Nudes II), 1930<br />
Etching on strong wove paper with margins.<br />
Signed lower margin and numbered “123 - 125”.<br />
A unique impression, signed and numbered by Picasso in yellow crayon or ink. Superb<br />
early proof after the steel-facing of the plate which allows for extraordinary contrast.<br />
Aside <strong>from</strong> the total edition of 125. Published by Albert Skira in 1931.<br />
Bloch 132, Baer 199.b.2. 908332.<br />
12 1/2 x 9 inches
Tête de Femme au Chapeau/Paysage avec Baigneurs (Head of a Woman with a Hat/Landscape with Bathers)<br />
Color linocut on Arches, Annotated in pencil by the printer. 25 1/4 x 20 3/4 inches. 911414.<br />
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