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Picasso: His Life and Work (with an Inscription and Drawing by Roland Penrose)

About the Item

First edition of Roland Penrose’s monograph on his friend Pablo Picasso, published in 1958 by Victor Gollancz. With a full-page mixed media (crayon, pen-and-ink) rendering on the half-title page representing an inscription to John and Jane presented as an original artwork. 8vo, hardcover with dust jacket, 392 pages plus 24 plates, b/w illustrations. Penrose (1900-1984) was a leading British surrealist artist as well an an historian, editor, gallerist, curator, art collector, and poet. Raised in an affluent Quaker family, Penrose became a patron and friend of artists such as Picasso, Max Ernst, and Wolfgang Paalen. His close circle in the artist community in Hampstead, north London, included Henry Moore, Ben Nicholson, Barbara Hepworth, and Naum Gabo. His wider circle of friends included Man Ray, Joan Miro, and Antonio Tapies—all of whom were subjects of books by him. Penrose was a co-founder of the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) in London and a trustee of the Tate Museum.
  • Creator:
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 9 in (22.86 cm)Width: 7 in (17.78 cm)Depth: 2 in (5.08 cm)
  • Style:
    Modern (Of the Period)
  • Materials and Techniques:
  • Place of Origin:
  • Period:
  • Date of Manufacture:
    1958
  • Condition:
    Wear consistent with age and use. Minor losses. Rubbing and edge chipping to the dust jacket, with fading to the spine and a white streak (paint?) on the front lower right; minor bumping to the boards. Contents clean.900.
  • Seller Location:
    New York, NY
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU828543041512