Picasso’s Suite Vollard of the early 1930s offers us an idyllic fantasy world to explore. Its variety of characters are staged in mostly joyful and often surreal scenes, etched to perfection. There is the ever-present inspiration from ancient Greece, whether it be its mythology or fascination with the human form.
In Bloch 193, the dynamic between the Minotaur and the dormeuse is reversed. She is no longer the vulnerable sleeper, acting as an observer of the creature who usually observes her. Additionally, the now-awake dormeuse is identified by name as Marie-Therese rather than acting as an alias. Here the real person merges with the character, awoken by this fusion. Her gaze is very direct and confident. In this role reversal, she is now the one in control, relishing the freedom to fully take in the sleeping beast before her without recourse. There is no fear, only intrigue; or, if there is fear, she keeps it hidden from us.
Behind Marie-Therese, we find her hulking half-man, half-bull counterpart fast asleep. His over-sized hairy frame fills almost the entire length of the background. Not only does this framing create a heightened sense of intimacy for the print, but it also reinforces the now-dormant power of the Minotaur. When awake, he has the potential for destruction as we know from the original Greek myth. The Minotaur’s very existence is considered an abomination by the people of Crete and is ultimately destroyed by the hero Theseus. Yet, Picasso reclaimed this so-called monster as a tragic figure with as much depth as any human being. Throughout his career, the innate darkness of humanity is displayed through the Minotaur, which acts as his alias. But in the Suite Vollard, he gives the Minotaur, and thereby himself, a chance to express softness and vulnerability.
The technique here is notable, unsurprisingly. Picasso’s etching skills shine in the variety of texture, from the Minotaur’s curly fur to the sheer curtain partially obscuring his face. There is also an artful use of drapery and shadowing around Marie-Therese, emphasizing her statuesque beauty here. Additionally, this shading works to further the story itself. Notice how the darker patches surround Marie-Therese: the laurels atop her curls nearly blend in with the foliage behind her head. In contrast, the Minotaur is rendered in mostly negative space, with a delicate, sheer curtain floating in front of him. Again, this reinforces the dynamic shift Picasso is experimenting with in this scene. Typically, the Minotaur is the creature crawling out from the darkness and somewhere on his prowl he mets the glowing, angelic dormeuse. In transferring these qualities, Picasso performs a kind of spell, shifting the balance of the universe.
Courtesy of John Szoke Gallery.