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PABLO PICASSO (1881-1973)

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"La femme au tambourin" (1939) is one of Pablo Picasso’s greatest graphic works. Partially based on compositions by Degas and Poussin, the work exudes a strong Classical presence with a Modernist edge. Thought to be a depiction of Dora Maar, Picasso’s lover at the time, the print is highly coveted by institutional and private collectors. One impression from this edition is included in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art, New York, and another is included in the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. <br> <br>Picasso’s experimentations in printmaking began in the first decade of the 20th century and engaged him for many decades, into the 1970s. In this time, Picasso embraced multiple methods of printmaking, including lithography, etching, aquatint, and linoleum block printing. His earliest prints were, like the present work, intaglio. With La femme au tambourin, Picasso incorporated the additional medium of aquatint, which yielded a watercolor-like effect throughout the composition and an extreme range of tonal qualities. This technique in particular afforded opportunities for expression that could not be found in painting. For his experimental reach and depth of mastery, Picasso’s corpus of graphic work is among the most highly respected and coveted in the history of art, rivaling that of Rembrandt. "La femme au tambourin" (1939) is one of Pablo Picasso’s greatest graphic works. Partially based on compositions by Degas and Poussin, the work exudes a strong Classical presence with a Modernist edge. Thought to be a depiction of Dora Maar, Picasso’s lover at the time, the print is highly coveted by institutional and private collectors. One impression from this edition is included in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art, New York, and another is included in the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. <br> <br>Picasso’s experimentations in printmaking began in the first decade of the 20th century and engaged him for many decades, into the 1970s. In this time, Picasso embraced multiple methods of printmaking, including lithography, etching, aquatint, and linoleum block printing. His earliest prints were, like the present work, intaglio. With La femme au tambourin, Picasso incorporated the additional medium of aquatint, which yielded a watercolor-like effect throughout the composition and an extreme range of tonal qualities. This technique in particular afforded opportunities for expression that could not be found in painting. For his experimental reach and depth of mastery, Picasso’s corpus of graphic work is among the most highly respected and coveted in the history of art, rivaling that of Rembrandt. "La femme au tambourin" (1939) is one of Pablo Picasso’s greatest graphic works. Partially based on compositions by Degas and Poussin, the work exudes a strong Classical presence with a Modernist edge. Thought to be a depiction of Dora Maar, Picasso’s lover at the time, the print is highly coveted by institutional and private collectors. One impression from this edition is included in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art, New York, and another is included in the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. <br> <br>Picasso’s experimentations in printmaking began in the first decade of the 20th century and engaged him for many decades, into the 1970s. In this time, Picasso embraced multiple methods of printmaking, including lithography, etching, aquatint, and linoleum block printing. His earliest prints were, like the present work, intaglio. With La femme au tambourin, Picasso incorporated the additional medium of aquatint, which yielded a watercolor-like effect throughout the composition and an extreme range of tonal qualities. This technique in particular afforded opportunities for expression that could not be found in painting. For his experimental reach and depth of mastery, Picasso’s corpus of graphic work is among the most highly respected and coveted in the history of art, rivaling that of Rembrandt. "La femme au tambourin" (1939) is one of Pablo Picasso’s greatest graphic works. Partially based on compositions by Degas and Poussin, the work exudes a strong Classical presence with a Modernist edge. Thought to be a depiction of Dora Maar, Picasso’s lover at the time, the print is highly coveted by institutional and private collectors. One impression from this edition is included in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art, New York, and another is included in the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. <br> <br>Picasso’s experimentations in printmaking began in the first decade of the 20th century and engaged him for many decades, into the 1970s. In this time, Picasso embraced multiple methods of printmaking, including lithography, etching, aquatint, and linoleum block printing. His earliest prints were, like the present work, intaglio. With La femme au tambourin, Picasso incorporated the additional medium of aquatint, which yielded a watercolor-like effect throughout the composition and an extreme range of tonal qualities. This technique in particular afforded opportunities for expression that could not be found in painting. For his experimental reach and depth of mastery, Picasso’s corpus of graphic work is among the most highly respected and coveted in the history of art, rivaling that of Rembrandt. "La femme au tambourin" (1939) is one of Pablo Picasso’s greatest graphic works. Partially based on compositions by Degas and Poussin, the work exudes a strong Classical presence with a Modernist edge. Thought to be a depiction of Dora Maar, Picasso’s lover at the time, the print is highly coveted by institutional and private collectors. One impression from this edition is included in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art, New York, and another is included in the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. <br> <br>Picasso’s experimentations in printmaking began in the first decade of the 20th century and engaged him for many decades, into the 1970s. In this time, Picasso embraced multiple methods of printmaking, including lithography, etching, aquatint, and linoleum block printing. His earliest prints were, like the present work, intaglio. With La femme au tambourin, Picasso incorporated the additional medium of aquatint, which yielded a watercolor-like effect throughout the composition and an extreme range of tonal qualities. This technique in particular afforded opportunities for expression that could not be found in painting. For his experimental reach and depth of mastery, Picasso’s corpus of graphic work is among the most highly respected and coveted in the history of art, rivaling that of Rembrandt. "La femme au tambourin" (1939) is one of Pablo Picasso’s greatest graphic works. Partially based on compositions by Degas and Poussin, the work exudes a strong Classical presence with a Modernist edge. Thought to be a depiction of Dora Maar, Picasso’s lover at the time, the print is highly coveted by institutional and private collectors. One impression from this edition is included in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art, New York, and another is included in the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. <br> <br>Picasso’s experimentations in printmaking began in the first decade of the 20th century and engaged him for many decades, into the 1970s. In this time, Picasso embraced multiple methods of printmaking, including lithography, etching, aquatint, and linoleum block printing. His earliest prints were, like the present work, intaglio. With La femme au tambourin, Picasso incorporated the additional medium of aquatint, which yielded a watercolor-like effect throughout the composition and an extreme range of tonal qualities. This technique in particular afforded opportunities for expression that could not be found in painting. For his experimental reach and depth of mastery, Picasso’s corpus of graphic work is among the most highly respected and coveted in the history of art, rivaling that of Rembrandt. "La femme au tambourin" (1939) is one of Pablo Picasso’s greatest graphic works. Partially based on compositions by Degas and Poussin, the work exudes a strong Classical presence with a Modernist edge. Thought to be a depiction of Dora Maar, Picasso’s lover at the time, the print is highly coveted by institutional and private collectors. One impression from this edition is included in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art, New York, and another is included in the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. <br> <br>Picasso’s experimentations in printmaking began in the first decade of the 20th century and engaged him for many decades, into the 1970s. In this time, Picasso embraced multiple methods of printmaking, including lithography, etching, aquatint, and linoleum block printing. His earliest prints were, like the present work, intaglio. With La femme au tambourin, Picasso incorporated the additional medium of aquatint, which yielded a watercolor-like effect throughout the composition and an extreme range of tonal qualities. This technique in particular afforded opportunities for expression that could not be found in painting. For his experimental reach and depth of mastery, Picasso’s corpus of graphic work is among the most highly respected and coveted in the history of art, rivaling that of Rembrandt. "La femme au tambourin" (1939) is one of Pablo Picasso’s greatest graphic works. Partially based on compositions by Degas and Poussin, the work exudes a strong Classical presence with a Modernist edge. Thought to be a depiction of Dora Maar, Picasso’s lover at the time, the print is highly coveted by institutional and private collectors. One impression from this edition is included in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art, New York, and another is included in the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. <br> <br>Picasso’s experimentations in printmaking began in the first decade of the 20th century and engaged him for many decades, into the 1970s. In this time, Picasso embraced multiple methods of printmaking, including lithography, etching, aquatint, and linoleum block printing. His earliest prints were, like the present work, intaglio. With La femme au tambourin, Picasso incorporated the additional medium of aquatint, which yielded a watercolor-like effect throughout the composition and an extreme range of tonal qualities. This technique in particular afforded opportunities for expression that could not be found in painting. For his experimental reach and depth of mastery, Picasso’s corpus of graphic work is among the most highly respected and coveted in the history of art, rivaling that of Rembrandt. "La femme au tambourin" (1939) is one of Pablo Picasso’s greatest graphic works. Partially based on compositions by Degas and Poussin, the work exudes a strong Classical presence with a Modernist edge. Thought to be a depiction of Dora Maar, Picasso’s lover at the time, the print is highly coveted by institutional and private collectors. One impression from this edition is included in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art, New York, and another is included in the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. <br> <br>Picasso’s experimentations in printmaking began in the first decade of the 20th century and engaged him for many decades, into the 1970s. In this time, Picasso embraced multiple methods of printmaking, including lithography, etching, aquatint, and linoleum block printing. His earliest prints were, like the present work, intaglio. With La femme au tambourin, Picasso incorporated the additional medium of aquatint, which yielded a watercolor-like effect throughout the composition and an extreme range of tonal qualities. This technique in particular afforded opportunities for expression that could not be found in painting. For his experimental reach and depth of mastery, Picasso’s corpus of graphic work is among the most highly respected and coveted in the history of art, rivaling that of Rembrandt. "La femme au tambourin" (1939) is one of Pablo Picasso’s greatest graphic works. Partially based on compositions by Degas and Poussin, the work exudes a strong Classical presence with a Modernist edge. Thought to be a depiction of Dora Maar, Picasso’s lover at the time, the print is highly coveted by institutional and private collectors. One impression from this edition is included in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art, New York, and another is included in the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. <br> <br>Picasso’s experimentations in printmaking began in the first decade of the 20th century and engaged him for many decades, into the 1970s. In this time, Picasso embraced multiple methods of printmaking, including lithography, etching, aquatint, and linoleum block printing. His earliest prints were, like the present work, intaglio. With La femme au tambourin, Picasso incorporated the additional medium of aquatint, which yielded a watercolor-like effect throughout the composition and an extreme range of tonal qualities. This technique in particular afforded opportunities for expression that could not be found in painting. For his experimental reach and depth of mastery, Picasso’s corpus of graphic work is among the most highly respected and coveted in the history of art, rivaling that of Rembrandt.
La femme au tambourin1939image size 26 x 20 in. / sheet size 30 1/8 x 22 3/8 in.(66.04 x 50.8 cm) etching and aquatint on Arches paper
Provenance
Lumley Cazalet Ltd., London
Private Collection, London, acquired from the above, 1999
Piasa Paris Auctioneers, Hotel Drouot, Room no. 9, Thursday, June 3, 1999, lot 155 (catalogue of H.M. Petiet print sale)
Private Collection, acquired from the above, 1999
Christie's London: Tuesday, February 28, 2023, Lot 44
Private Collection, acquired from the above sale
Literature
Bloch G (1968), Pablo Picasso: catalogue de l'oeuvre grave et lithographie, Editions Kornfeld. 310
Baer B. & Geiser B (1986-1988), Picasso: peintre graveur...More..., Editions Kornfeld (646.5Ba)
Mallen, Enrique, ed. 1997-2023. (OPP). Online Picasso Project. Sam Houston State University (39:005)
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“I paint objects as I think them, not as I see them.” – Pablo Picasso

History

La femme au tambourin (1939) is one of Pablo Picasso’s greatest graphic works. Partially based on compositions by Degas and Poussin, the work exudes a strong Classical presence with a Modernist edge. Thought to be a depiction of Dora Maar, Picasso’s lover at the time, the print is highly coveted by institutional and private collectors. One impression from this edition is included in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art, New York, and another is included in the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

Picasso’s experimentations in printmaking began in the first decade of the 20th century and engaged him for many decades, into the 1970s. In this time, Picasso embraced multiple methods of printmaking, including lithography, etching, aquatint, and linoleum block printing. His earliest prints were, like the present work, intaglio. With La femme au tambourin, Picasso incorporated the additional medium of aquatint, which yielded a watercolor-like effect throughout the composition and an extreme range of tonal qualities. This technique in particular afforded opportunities for expression that could not be found in painting. For his experimental reach and depth of mastery, Picasso’s corpus of graphic work is among the most highly respected and coveted in the history of art, rivaling that of Rembrandt.

  • Picasso, Dorra Maar and Man Ray
    Photo of Dora Maar (on the right) next to Pablo Picasso in Antibes by Man Ray, 1937
  • Picasso and Dora Maar
    Pablo and Dora Maar, 1940s
  • Picasso in studio
    Pablo Picasso in his Cannes studio, 1956. Photograph: Arnold Newman/Getty Images
  • Le Femme MoMA
    Pablo Picasso “Woman with Tambourine (La Femme au tambourin)” (1939, published 1943), Museum of Modern Art, New York
“The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls.” – Pablo Picasso

MARKET INSIGHTS

  • Picasso AMR 3.1985-6.2023
    AMR Pablo Picasso market graph 3/1985 – 6/2023
  • Since 1985 the compound annual growth rate for Picasso works is 8.8%.
  • This is an incredibly small edition of just 30 impressions, several of which are already in museum collections.
  • After the 1950s, Picasso became much more prolific. His works from the extremely prolific 60s and 70s are now achieving new records, and his great works from the 1930s and 40s are virtually unobtainable.
  • La femme au tambourin is among the top 15% of Picasso works from this period.
  • Cubist works, those from (roughly) 1907 through 1920, are arguably the rarest after the Blue and Rose Period pieces. Works from his Neoclassical period (1930s war period through late 1940s) are not far behind.

Top Results at Auctions

Oil on canvas, 45 x 57 1/2 in., Sold at Christie’s New York: 11 May 2015.

"Les Femmes d’Alger" (Version ‘O’) (1955) sold for $179,364,500

Oil on canvas, 45 x 57 1/2 in., Sold at Christie’s New York: 11 May 2015.
Oil on canvas, 61 x 26 in., Sold at Christie’s New York: 08 May 2018.

"Fillette à la Corbeille Fleurie" (1905) sold for $115,000,000

Oil on canvas, 61 x 26 in., Sold at Christie’s New York: 08 May 2018.
Oil on canvas, 64 x 51 1/4 in., Sold at Christie’s New York: 04 May 2010.

"Nude, Green Leaves and Bust" (1931) sold for $106,482,500

Oil on canvas, 64 x 51 1/4 in., Sold at Christie’s New York: 04 May 2010.
Oil on canvas, 39 1/2 x 32 in., Sold at Sotheby’s New York: 05 May 2004.

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

Oil on canvas, 39 1/2 x 32 in., Sold at Sotheby’s New York: 05 May 2004.

Comparable Paintings Sold at Auctions

“Le Repas Frugal” (1904), etching and scraper, 18 1/4 x 14 3/4 in. Sold at Christie’s London: 01 March 2022 for $8,009,721.
“Le Repas Frugal” (1904), etching and scraper, 18 1/4 x 14 3/4 in. Sold at Christie’s London: 01 March 2022 for $8,009,721.
“La Femme Qui Pleure I” (1937), drypoint, aquatint, etching and scraper, 27 x 19 1/2 in. Sold at Sotheby’s London: 05 February 2014 for $5,247,839.
“La Femme Qui Pleure I” (1937), drypoint, aquatint, etching and scraper, 27 x 19 1/2 in. Sold at Sotheby’s London: 05 February 2014 for $5,247,839.
“La Minotauromachie” (1935), etching and engraving, 19 1/2 x 27 in. Sold at Sotheby’s New York: 04 November, 2014 for $2,405,000.
“La Minotauromachie” (1935), etching and engraving, 19 1/2 x 27 in. Sold at Sotheby’s New York: 04 November, 2014 for $2,405,000.

Prints in Museum Collections

“Woman with Tambourine (La Femme au tambourin)" (1939), etching and aquatint, 26 x 20 in., The Museum of Modern Art, New York
“Woman with Tambourine (La Femme au tambourin)” (1939), etching and aquatint, 26 x 20 in., The Museum of Modern Art, New York
“Woman with Tambourine (La Femme au tambourin)" (1939), etching and aquatint, 26 x 20 in., The National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
“Woman with Tambourine (La Femme au tambourin)” (1939), etching and aquatint, 26 x 20 in., The National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
“La Minotauromachie” (1935), etching, 19 1/2 x 27 1/4 in., The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
“La Minotauromachie” (1935), etching, 19 1/2 x 27 1/4 in., The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
“Woman Crying Before a Wall” (1937), etching, aquatint, and scraper, 13 5/8 × 9 5/8 in., Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles
“Woman Crying Before a Wall” (1937), etching, aquatint, and scraper, 13 5/8 × 9 5/8 in., Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles
“Others have seen what is and asked why. I have seen what could be and asked why not.” – Pablo Picasso

Additional Resources

Pablo Picasso: Founder of Cubism Grew up in Poverty | Biography
Where Did Pablo Picasso’s Genius Come From? | National Geographic
Pablo Picasso’s son, Claude Picasso, interview (1997)
Pablo Picasso at Work in his studio in Vallauris, France (1949)

Image Gallery

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