Pablo Picasso Linocut – Exposition Vallauris 1955

Year: 1955
Medium: Original linocut on Registres Torpes paper
Dimensions: 90 cm x 60 cm
Edition: 600.
Printer: Arnera, paper watermark, clearly visible at the lower edge,
Condition: paper slightly browned at the upper edge with a few small stains and small paper loss, some weak creases and a few faint signs of age, generally in good condition considering the age

Reference: Czw 15

Pablo Picasso became very interested in the linocut medium in the 1950s, producing a complete universe of bullfighting scenarios, mythological pictures, and abstract portraits. This age-old printmaking method, which masterfully merged his skill as a draughtsman with his expressive use of colour, was neglected for many years before eventually experiencing a rebirth. Picasso helped to establish the linocut in the modern-day art world as a professional printmaking technique.

Picasso spent a lot of time at Vallauris in 1951. He occasionally offered his time and talents to make a poster for a local event, like a bullfight or a ceramics fair. Picasso was advised to try using linoleum as a low-cost printmaking method by a local printer named Arnéra. Following this, Picasso dedicated himself to linocuts for the following ten years. They are still quite rare in his oeuvre, accounting for only approximately 150 of over 2,000 prints, and are highly coveted by collectors.