1st Edition Picasso Ceramics Book

One of the most prolific and revolutionary artists the world has ever seen, Pablo Picasso had a tremendous impact on the development of 20th-century modern art. Although he is best known for his association with the Cubist movement, which he founded with Georges Braque, Picasso’s influence extends to Surrealism, neoclassicism and Expressionism.

“Every act of creation is, first of all, an act of destruction,” the Spanish artist proclaimed. In Picasso's Cubist paintings, he emphasizes the two-dimensionality of the canvas, breaking with conventions regarding perspective, foreshortening and proportion. Picasso was inspired by Iberian and African tribal art. One of his most famous pre-Cubist works is Les Demoiselles d’Avignon (1907), a painting considered immoral and shocking at the time for its depiction of nude women whose faces resemble Iberian tribal masks.

Picasso made many portraits in this style, most often of the women in his life, their expressively colored faces composed of geometric shards of surface planes. In Woman in a Hat (Olga), 1935, he painted his first wife as an assemblage of abstract forms, leaving the viewer to decipher the subject through the contrasting colors and shapes. Picasso was a tireless artist, creating more than 20,000 paintings, drawings, prints, ceramics and sculptures. Tracing his life’s work reveals the progression of modern art, on which he had an unparalleled influence.

Browse an expansive collection of Pablo Picasso's art on 1stDibs.

Antique and vintage books add a sense of culture and style to any room. Displaying these types of books in your living room or reading nook can warm a space with a distinguished feel.

Several factors make antique books highly desirable. Original jackets, ornate binding, illustrations and quality of the print all contribute to making a vintage book special. Rare books are of great interest to collectors in the know and can command high prices at auction. In 2021, an important early artist book by Andy Warhol sold at auction for more than $106,000. Somewhere between all the commercial work he did as an ambitious young graphic designer in the early 1950s and his first real debut as a Pop artist a decade later, Warhol produced a trove of incredibly charming drawings. His illustrated self-published artist books from the 1950s are very rare.

Many collectors seek the first edition of certain books. Fewer copies of a book and higher demand make it a rare find. A book that contains the author’s signature also makes it much more prized than other examples of the same title.

Collectors and designers decorate rooms with vintage books for a cozy feeling in a home. Coffee-table books, such as those featuring photography and design, serve as conversation pieces or offer a relaxing moment when leafed through.

Interior designers look for vintage books when they want to add color or detail. For instance, leather-bound books can create a scholarly air while mid-century titles offer a modern edge. Vintage international books or first editions can provide a sense of history.

No matter the genre, there is a book for you. You can find rare, one-of-a-kind antique books on 1stDibs. Browse by authors, like celebrated architect and designer Frank Lloyd Wright and Edgar Rice Burroughs, as well as by period, including mid-century modern, Art Deco and Victorian.