15 - PICASSO, PABLO RUIZ (1881–1973)

PICASSO, PABLO RUIZ (1881–1973) Etching on paper. Created on April 4, 1971. Numbered (24/50) in the lower left corner. Signed with a stamp in the lower right corner. Published by Galerie Louise Leiris, Paris. Bibliography: Bloch, 1964 / Baer, 1973 / Leiris, 109. BARAÑO, Kosme: Picasso Suite 156. Elkar and BBV. Bilbao, 1998. Cat. No. 109. B/W Rep. Page 174. This etching from Series 156 synthesizes Picasso's aesthetic testament through a variegated "theater of memory" set in a brothel, a key space in his imagination. By combining the figure of Celestina with the evocation of Edgar Degas, the artist reflects ironically on voyeurism and the aging painter’s distance from carnal desire. Formally, the work stands out for its absolute technical freedom, where a calligraphic, rapid, and free stroke saturates the space with dense textures that distort bodies between grotesque caricature and erotic fluidity; an uninhibited composition that dispenses with classical perspective to transform the print into an intimate diary and a raw confession about time, art, and physical decline itself. 50 x 64.5 cm.