$15,000

Spanish
1965

Aquatint and drypoint etching by Pablo Picasso titled “Dans l’Atelier III,” executed in 1965. Number 34 from an edition of 50. Signed l/r Picasso, numbered lower left. In a custom gilt-edged gesso frame under glass.

Since Picasso first took to the dry-point in his “Blue Period” — the first major phase of his career — he has been a dedicated practitioner of the medium. The prodigious output would come to rival that of his paintings in both quantity and quality. While the print subjects usually followed his often dramatic artistic evolution, there has been one that remained constant — the artist’s meditation on his profession. This is as close to Picasso’s inner artistic truth as possible in a duplicative medium.

The representation of the artist in his studio first appeared as a substantial series in 1927. He is at times a sculptor, but more commonly a painter. He is occasionally seen alone, but often accompanied by one or more models. In the mid-1960s, Picasso obsessively reworked this subject in a multi-year period, producing a diverse body of prints in both compositions and techniques — etching, dry-point, lithograph and more. 

The present print being offered stands apart in this series as one of the very few examples that reveals a finished work in its own right. In most studio scenes, the canvas on the easel is often obscured by the angle of the composition or the body of the artist himself. The presentational nature of this image, however, is clearly articulated. The artist stands back from the painting, pausing his brush hand, as if contemplating placing his finishing touches. A classicizing half-nude female figure stands to the other side of the canvas, holding her arms to the frame in the same manner as the artist. All attention is directed at the image-within-an-image: occupying the entire picture plane, the monumental nude recalls Picasso’s iconic work “La Source” of 1921 from his neoclassical period. 

Provenance: Purchased from Hirshchl & Adler Galleries. Ref: Bloch 1217. Print itself measures 13 x 17.75 in.

Condition
Very good original condition with no issues to report.

Measurements
Height: 20.5 in.
Width/length: 24 in.
Depth: 0.75 in.

Specifications
Number of items: 1
Materials/techniques: Aquatint an drypoint on paper.