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PABLO PICASSO 1881-1973 Málaga 1881- 1973 Mougins (Spanish)
Title: Masked Figures and Bird Woman, from: The Suite Vollard | Personnages masqués et femme oiseau: La Suite Vollard, 1934
Technique: Original Hand Signed Etching and Aquatint on Montval Laid Paper with Montgolfier Watermark Paper
size: 50 x 38 cm. / 19.7 x 15 in.
Image size: 24.8 x 34.8 cm. / 9.8 x 13.7 in.
Additional Information: This original etching and Aquatint is hand signed by the artist “Picasso” at the lower right. It was printed in by Lacourière in a limited edition of 50 impressions on paper with large margins and published by Ambroise Vollard, Paris. There were an additional 250 impressions on smaller format paper. This is the 24th plate in La Suite Vollard, Picasso’s most important series of etchings, and was realised on 19th November 1934. With the Henri Petiet number “386” in the lower left corner. The paper bears the Montgolfier watermark.
Note: The Suite Vollard, created between 1930 and 1937, was named after its publisher, the French art dealer and critic Ambroise Vollard. Picasso and Vollard shared a close working relationship up until 1910; however, after this date Vollard was no longer Picasso’s dealer though the two continued to collaborate on publishing projects. In 1930, Vollard, encouraged by the success of two earlier ventures, ambitiously commissioned 100 plates from Picasso and by 1937 the plates were completed and given to master printer Roger Lacourière to print. The entire edition comprises 3 copies on parchment, 50 copies on larger format Montval paper (50 x 38 cm.) and 250 on smaller format Montval paper 44.5 x 34 cm.). Tragically, Ambroise Vollard died in a car crash on 22 July 1939 leaving the project temporarily suspended, until a greater part of the edition was purchased by the print dealer Henri Marie Petiet. After World War II, Petiet engaged Picasso to sign a certain number of sets, and this continued up until 1969 but ceased with the publication of the 347 Series. Hence, a large number of the prints from the edition of 250 remain unsigned.
Literature: 1. Bloch, G. (1968). Pablo Picasso: Tome I, Catalogue of the Printed Graphic Work 1904-1967. Bern: Editions Kornfeld et Klipstein. Reference: Bloch 227. 2. Baer, B. (1992). Picasso: Peintre-Graveur, Tome II, Catalogue Raisonne de l’OEuvre Grave. Bern: Editions Kornfeld. Reference: Baer 441.
Condition: Excellent condition.
