PABLO PICASSO (1881-1973)










Provenance
With Waddington Graphics, LondonPrivate Collection, acquired from the above
Christies Online Auction, September 28, 2022, lot 16
Private Collection, purchased from the above sale
Literature
Picasso, P., & Bloch, G., 1968, Pablo picasso: catalogue de l'oeuvre gravé et lithographié, 1904-1967, Kornfeld et KlipsteinBaer 1318
History
Pablo Picasso was not only the greatest painter and most innovative sculptor of the twentieth century, but he was also its foremost printmaker. He produced a staggering number of prints in every conceivable medium. Yet Picasso’s crowning printmaking achievement may be the linocut, a relief print of such a low technical barrier that it is accessible to almost anyone. If you have ever made a block print and experienced the carving and removing of portions so that a succession of colors can be preserved on the resulting print, it is a thrill to feel in your hand how Picasso created the image.
Buste de Femme au Chapeau was created in 1962 when Picasso was eighty years of age. Boldly designed and simply conceived, it remains today as a testament to his ever-restless nature and genius for expanding his repertoire. Printed in five vibrant opaque colors – yellow, blue, green, red – and black assembled on the strength of his unmatched graphic skill, it is a portrait inspired by his wife Jacqueline Roque. The assertive layering of color carries a visual impact similar to his paintings in oil. Considered by many collectors as his most important linocut, it was printed and published in an edition of 50. The colors of this particular print — an artist’s proof — are exceptionally fresh and strong.
Top Results at Auction

"Les femmes d'Alger (Version 'O')" (1955) sold for $179,365,000.

"Fillette à la corbeille fleurie" (1905) sold for $115,000,000.

"Nude, Green Leaves and Bust" (1932) sold for $106,482,500.

"Garçon à la pipe" (1905) sold for $104,168,000.
