547 - Pablo Picasso (1881 Málaga – Mougins near Cannes 1973)

Pablo Picasso (1881 Málaga – Mougins near Cannes 1973) Sculptor and Kneeling Model Drypoint etching on Montval handmade paper with the watermark “Picasso.” (1933). Approx. 37 x 30 cm (sheet size approx. 44.5 x 33.5 cm). One of 260 copies on this paper. Signed lower right. Sheet 69 from the Suite Vollard. Baer 331 B d (of d); Bloch 178. • Sheet 69 from the famous “Suite Vollard,” one of Picasso’s most significant print cycles • Part of the 46-print series “The Sculptor’s Studio” • The female figure is reminiscent of Picasso’s lover and muse, Marie-Thérèse Walter The kneeling female figure is recognizable as Marie-Thérèse Walter, Picasso’s lover and one of his most important muses. Her body, sculpted with dense hatching, stands out clearly from the restrained lines of the bearded sculptor, who is considered Picasso’s alter ego. While the model gazes at herself in the mirror, the artist looks at the young woman. The sculpted self-portrait in the foreground adds another layer of self-reflection to the scene. This creates a multifaceted interplay between the artist, the model, and the artwork, in which Picasso simultaneously questions his own role as a creator. Provenance: Private collection, USA. Taxation: subject to regular taxation (VAT: Regular Taxation).