Description

Nudes were a consistent subject throughout the world-famous artist’s long career. One of the earliest examples, done in 1895 when Picasso was 15, appears in the opening pages of the 1980 catalogue to accompany “Pablo Picasso, a Retrospective,” at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The caption for the precisely rendered standing male nude reads “Diploma drawing for entry to School of Fine Arts, Barcelona. 1895. Lead pencil.”
Viewing the scene on offer here, any 16th-century Spanish gentleman would recognize the ruff collar and fabric cap of this mature, mustachioed, bearded painter. With brush in hand and, more within reach, he is perhaps in the process of posing his two nude models. One wonders, was Picasso imagining himself here?
This work was executed in drypoint, a form of etching wherein the lines are manually scratched in the copper plate with a sharp round point by the artist to create a better surface to hold the ink, rather than making the groves with chemicals. According to the Art Institute of Chicago, Rembrandt, Whistler and Picasso favored this technique. The latter is reported to have done 31.

60 Series. Bloch No. 1448;
Edition 1/50 – 50/50; (7/50)
Hand signed on wove paper.See

Dimensions

13.75ʺW × 2ʺD × 11.75ʺH

Styles

Modern

Spanish

Frame Type

Framed

Art Subjects

Nude

Figure

Artist

Pablo Picasso

Period

1960s

Country of Origin

France

Item Type

Vintage, Antique or Pre-owned

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Materials

Drypoint

Condition

Good Condition, Original Condition Unaltered, Some Imperfections

Color

Onyx

Condition Notes

Condition commensurate with age and use. Please review photos.Condition commensurate with age and use. Please review photos.