Pablo Picasso, Saltimbanque, from Fifteen Drawings, 1946 (after)

1946

This exquisite lithograph and pochoir after Pablo Picasso (1881–1973), titled Minotaur, from the folio Picasso, Fifteen Drawings, 1946, originates from the 1946 edition published by Pantheon Books, Inc., New York, and rendered and printed by Albert Carman, City Island, New York, 1946. Minotaur captures Picasso’s lifelong fascination with the ancient myth of the half-man, half-bull—a symbol of passion, violence, and the dual nature of human instinct. Through bold yet economical linework, the artist transforms the mythical figure into an expression of psychological struggle and creative power, a recurring theme in his postwar works that reconciles strength with vulnerability. Executed as a lithograph and pochoir on velin paper, this work measures 12.63 x 18.75 inches. Signed in the plate and unnumbered as issued. The edition exemplifies the exemplary standards and artistic integrity of the fine art publishing and printmaking of Pantheon Books, Inc., and Albert Carman whose next collaborative project following this edition was with Marc Chagall in the creation of his monumental suite, Four Tales from the Arabian Nights in 1948. Artwork Details: Artist: After Pablo Picasso (1881–1973) Title: Minotaur, from the folio Picasso, Fifteen Drawings, 1946 Medium: Lithograph and pochoir on velin paper Dimensions: 12.63 x 18.75 inches (32.1 x 47.6 cm) Inscription: Signed in the plate and unnumbered as issued Date: 1946 Edition: D, primary edition; L, out of commerce, hand signed by Pablo Picasso Publisher: Pantheon Books, Inc., New York Printer: Albert Carman, City Island, New York Catalogue raisonne reference: Orozco, Miguel. Picasso Interpretation Prints II - Etchings, Pochoirs & Woodcuts. Catalogue Raisonne. 2023, illustration 388–402 Condition: Well preserved, consistent with age and medium Provenance: From the folio Picasso, Fifteen Drawings, 1946, published by Pantheon Books, Inc., New York; printed by Albert Carman, City Island, New York, 1946 About the Publication: Picasso, Fifteen Drawings (1946) was one of the earliest fine art portfolios issued in the United States to feature the work of Pablo Picasso in the mediums of lithography and pochoir. Published by Pantheon Books, Inc., New York—a press renowned for its pioneering role in introducing European modernism to American audiences—the portfolio marked an important cultural bridge between postwar Paris and the emerging art scene in New York. The suite comprised fifteen images selected from Picasso’s prolific oeuvre, including depictions of mythological figures, musicians, and introspective portraits. Each work was rendered using a combination of lithography and pochoir, printed by Albert Carman at his atelier in City Island, New York, whose craftsmanship ensured a remarkable fidelity to the tonal and chromatic nuances of Picasso’s originals. The portfolio was produced in an edition of D, primary edition; L, out of commerce, hand signed by Pablo Picasso, issued unbound within a printed paper folder, and distributed primarily through Pantheon’s art book division under the direction of Kurt Wolff and Monroe Wheeler—key figures in shaping the intellectual reception of modern art in the United States. Picasso, Fifteen Drawings helped establish the artist’s postwar reputation among American collectors, scholars, and institutions, introducing a generation of viewers to the expressive immediacy and psychological depth of his draftsmanship. The publication also exemplified Pantheon’s broader mission to make modern European art accessible to an American audience, alongside their landmark editions devoted to Henri Matisse, Georges Rouault, and Marc Chagall. Technically refined and historically significant, the portfolio stands as a testament to the transatlantic exchange of modernist aesthetics during the mid-20th century and remains one of the most sought-after Picasso print editions issued in the United States before 1950. About the Artist: Pablo Picasso (1881–1973) was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, and ceramicist whose extraordinary vision revolutionized modern art and defined the visual language of the 20th century. A child prodigy from Malaga, Spain, Picasso's career spanned more than seven decades and encompassed an astonishing range of styles and innovations—from the melancholic Blue and romantic Rose periods to his pioneering invention of Cubism with Georges Braque, which shattered conventional notions of perspective and form. Influenced by the bold expressiveness of El Greco, the structure of Cezanne, and the vitality of African and Iberian sculpture, Picasso became a central figure of the Paris avant-garde, working in creative dialogue with contemporaries such as Henri Matisse, Alexander Calder, Alberto Giacometti, Salvador Dali, Joan Miro, Wassily Kandinsky, Marcel Duchamp, and Man Ray. His insatiable experimentation extended across painting, drawing, printmaking, ceramics, and sculpture, forever expanding the boundaries of artistic expression. A master of reinvention, Picasso profoundly shaped generations of artists who followed—from Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, David Hockney, and Jean-Michel Basquiat to Jeff Koons and Banksy—cementing his status as a timeless cultural icon whose works remain among the most sought after worldwide. His landmark painting Les Femmes d'Alger (Version O) achieved a record-breaking sale of 179,365,000 USD at Christie's, New York, on May 11, 2015, affirming Picasso's enduring legacy as one of the most influential and valuable artists in history. Pablo Picasso Minotaur...

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