Pablo Pic asso
| Selections from the Vollard Suite
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PUCKER GALLERY • BOSTON
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Minotaure Aveugle Guidé par Une Petite Fille au Pigeon, 1934 Etching on Montval paper with Picasso watermark, Unsigned Edition o 260 9 5/16 x 11 3/4” Bloch 224, Baer 436 IV B.d.
Pablo Pi casso
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Picasso’s Life Pablo Picasso is best known as one o the most inuential painters in the history o art. Born in 88 in Málaga, Spain, Picasso was the son o academic painter José Ruiz y Blasco and exhibited artistic talent at an early age. This talent was encouraged and developed at Barcelona’s academy o fne arts, La Lonja, in 985. Picasso’s frst exhibition took place in Barcelona in 900. Soon ater, ater, in 90, the artist relocated to Paris where he met art dealer, critic, and collector Ambroise Vollard as well as Max Jacob and André Breton. Picasso’s oeuvre can be broken down into a number o dierent periods. The Blue Period began in 90, lasted through 904, and was ollowed by the Rose Period (905) and a group o works inuenced by Arican art. Cubism ollowed (ca. 908-9), evolving rom an Analytic phase to its Synthetic phase (beginning in 9–) and it was during this period that Picasso was most signifcant in the radical re-structuring o the way that a work o art constructs its meaning. In 96, the artist began to collaborate on ballet and theatrical productions. Soon thereater, thereater, his work was characterized by elements o neoclassicism and a renewed interest in drawing and fgural representation. In 98, Picasso married dancer Olga Khokhlova and together they lived in Paris and traveled reuently. From 95 to the 90s Picasso was involved to a certain degree with the Surrealists, and in the all o 9 he became especially interested in making sculpture. In 9, with large exhibitions at the Galeries Georges Petit in Paris and the Kunsthaus in Zürich, and the publication o the frst volume o Christian Zervos’s catalogue raisonné, Picasso’s ame increased markedly.
Selections from the Vollar Vollard d Suite
By 96 the Spanish Civil War had prooundly aected Picasso, the expression o which culminated in his painting Guernica (97, Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Soía, Madrid). Picasso’s association with the Communist Party began in 944. From the late 940s he lived in the south o France. Among the enormous number o exhibitions that were held during the artist’s lietime, those at the Museum o Modern Art, New York, in 99 and the Musée des Arts Décoratis, Paris, in 955 were most signifcant. In 96 the artist married Jacueline Roue, and they moved to Mougins, France, where Picasso continued his prolifc work in painting, drawing, prints, ceramics, and sculpture until his death in 97.
The History of the Vollard Suite Picasso’s long relationship with Ambroise Vollard began soon ater his move to Paris in 90 when Vollard arranged the artist’s frst Paris show. show. Vollard was an inuential and intuitive art dealer who also worked with Paul Cézanne, Paul Gauguin, and Pierre-Auguste Renoir. In 96, Picasso agreed to give Vollard a group o 97 printing plates created since 90 and the rights to publish them in exchange or two paintings, a Cézanne and a Renior. Renior. In early 97, Picasso completed three portraits o Vollard, making the completed suite a group o one hundred plates. With Vollard’s Vollard’s sudden death dea th in 99, the t he project was interrupted and the completed works remained in his apartment until the mid-940s when they were purchased by print dealer Henri Petiet. In the 950s, Petiet began to pay Picasso to sign some o the prints, sending batches o one or two hundred prints at a time.
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This arrangement ended in the late 960s when the artist began to work on a new series, leaving many prints unsigned. Very ew editions were actually sold as a complete set and, o those that were, many have since been broken up.
Imagery in the Vollard Suite Since Picasso’s original intention or these works was not or them to be combined into a suite and the plates were only brought together or Ambroise Vollard, there isn’t a single theme that dominates the prints. It can, however, be argued that most o the one hundred visually vibrant and emotionally incisive works are either blatantly or surreptitiously autobiographical.
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A large number o the works in the Vollard Suite are characterized by Neoclassical elements and subject matter. matter. This theme was probably inspired by Picasso’s Picasso’s travels to Rome, Florence, and Naples. As a result o these trips and his 90s illustrations or Ovid’s Metamorphoses , many o the works are mythological. The Minotaur repeatedly appears in the Suite in various states o emotion, oten acting as an alter ego or the artist. A second theme in many o the plates, particularly those created between March and May o 9, is the sculptor in his studio which directly reects the artist’s 9 purchase o a chateau near Gisors, where he devoted himsel to sculpture. Oten classical statues surround the sculptor in these prints, once again exploring his interest in the Neoclassical. O course, one o the most present themes throughout the Suite is the women with whom Picasso was intimately involved, particularly his mistress MarieThérèse Walter Walter.. These relationships are evident in most o the plates in the Vollard Suite, illustrating the connections and competitions that Picasso had with the women and the conicts that the artist imagined between the women.
Picasso’s Printing Techniques Picasso’s inuence on twentieth century art extends beyond his painting career – the artist was a very accomplished and insp ired printmaker. Printer Roger Lacourière was responsible or the printing o all o the Picasso plates in the Vollard Suite and also taught the artist a number o printing and engraving techniues. Most o the intaglio prints in in the suite are etchings or drypoint on watermarked Montval paper, paper, usually in editions o 60. Drypoint is a method o printmaking in which a sharp instrument is used to scratch a groove directly into a metal plate. When the metal plate is inked and paper is pressed against the surace, the resulting line has a rich velvety uality. As this process is repeated and the plate is worn, the lines become less defned in later prints. When etching, the plate is frst covered with an acidresistant ground and the image is incised into the ground with an etching needle. When the plate is dipped into acid, the solution only bites into the incised areas. When the plate is inked, the ink is captured in the bitten areas and, when pressed into paper, the incised design is transerred to the paper. Picasso also used auatint in latter plates o the Suite – a more graphic method o etching which produces a richly textured result. Rather than scratch the ground away, the printmaker paints an acid-resistant substance onto the plate and repeatedly dips the plate into acid. The longer the plate has been submerged, the deeper the acid bites and the more ink the plate will hold, creating a darker imprint. By covering dierent dierent areas at dierent stages, there is a variation in the darkness o the print. The resulting images are less linear than etchings and drypoint prints.
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Pablo Picasso dominated 0th-century European art and was central to the development o the image o the modern artist. Episodes o his personal lie were recounted in intimate detail, his comments on art were published, and his working methods recorded on flm. Painting was his principal medium, but his sculptures, prints, theatre designs, ceramics and cinematic endeavors all had an impact on their respective disciplines. Even artists not inuenced by the style o his work had to come to terms with its implications. During his long lie Picasso instigated or responded to most o the artistic dialogues taking place in Europe and North America, registering and transorming the developments that he ound most interesting.
His marketability as a uniue and enormously productive artistic personality, together with the distinctiveness o his work and methodology, have made him the most extensively exhibited and discussed artist o the 0th-century. 0th-century. The Vollard Vollard Suite is an integral part o the sizeable and diverse body o work that Picasso created in his lietime, illustrating his impressive mastery o printmaking techniues, his attention to the multiple meanings o a work, and his understanding o the potential power o art.
– Kate Lincoln Pucker Gallery, Boston
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Sculpteur avec un Groupe Sculpte (Hommage a Carpeaux), 1934 Etching on Montval paper with Picasso watermark, Unsigned Edition o 260 8 7/8 x 12 5/16” Bloch 217, Baer 421 B.d.
This exhibition is presented in cooperation with John Szoke Editions, New York.
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Le Repos du Minotaure: Champagne et Amante, 1933 Etching on Montval paper with Picasso watermark, Unsigned Edition o 260 7 5/8 x 10 9/16” Bloch 190, Baer 349 B.d.
Femme au Voile, Modele Assis et Tete de Rembrandt, 1934 Etching on Montval paper with Vollard watermark, Unsigned Edition o 260 10 7/8 x 7 3/4” Bloch 215, Baer 414 B.d.
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Femme nue Assise Devant un Rideau, 1931 Etching with a Picasso watermark, Unsigned Edition o 260 12 1/8 x 8 3/4” Bloch 137, Baer 202 B.d.
Homme Dévoilant une Femme, 1931 Drypoint on Montval paper with Vollard watermark, Signed Edition o 260 14 3/8 x 11 3/4” Bloch 138, Baer 203 II B.d.
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Femme nue Devant une Statue, 1931 Etching on Montval paper with Vollard watermark, Unsigned Edition o 260 12 1/4 x 8 11/16” Bloch 139, Baer 205 B.d.
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Sculpteur au Repos avec son Modele Anemones et Petit Torse (Le Repos du Sculpteur Devant le Petit Torse), 1933 Etching on Montval paper with Vollard watermark, Unsigned Edition o 260 7 5/8 x 10 1/2” Bloch 162, Baer 315 B.d.
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Sculpteurs, Modèles et Sculpture, 1933 Etching on Montval paper, Signed Edition o 50 with large margins 10 1/2 x 7 5/8” Bloch 149, Baer 301 B.d.
Deux Femmes Regardant une Tete Sculptée (Duex Modèles Vetus), 1933 Etching on Montval paper with Vollard watermark, Unsigned Edition o 260 10 1/2 x 7 5/8” Bloch 150, Baer 302 B.d.
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Sculpteur, Modèle, Sculpture et Poisson Rouge, 1933 Etching on Montval paper with Montgolfer watermark, Unsigned Edition o 50 with large margins 10 1/2 x 7 5/8” Bloch 152, Baer 304 II B.c.
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Vieux Sculpteur et Jeune Modele Avec le Portrait Sculpted du Modele, 1933 Etching on Montval paper with Montgolfer watermark, Signed Edition o 50 with large margins 7 5/8 x 10 1/2” Bloch 172, Baer 325 B.c.
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Jeune Sculpteur Finissant un Platre, 1933 Etching on Montval paper with Vollard watermark, Unsigned Edition o 260 10 1/2 x 7 5/8” Bloch 156, Baer 309 B.d.
Sculpteur au Repos avec Modèle Demasque et sas Representation Sculptee, 1933 Etching on Montval paper with Vollard watermark, Unsigned Edition o 260 10 1/2 x 7 5/8” Bloch 159, Baer 312 B.d.
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Sculpteur au Repos avec Marie-Therese et sa Representation en Venus Pudique, 1933 Etching on Montval paper with Montgolfer watermark, Signed Edition o 50 with large margins 10 1/2 x 7 5/8” Bloch 160, Baer 313 B.c.
Rembrandt Tenant par la Main une Jeune Femme au Voile, 1934 Etching on Montval paper, Unsigned Edition o 50 with large margins 10 15/16 x 7 13/16” Bloch 214, Baer 413 B.c.
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Flûtiste et Jeune Fille au Tambourin, Tambourin, 1934 Etching and drypoint on Montval paper with Picasso watermark, Signed Edition o 260 10 15/16 x 7 13/16” Bloch 213, Baer 412 B.d.
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Garcon Pensi Veillant une Dormeuse à la Lumiere d’une Chandelle, 1934 Etching, drypoint and aquatint on Montval paper with Picasso watermark, Signed Edition o 260 9 5/16 x 11 11/16” Bloch 226, Baer 440 III. B.d.
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Femme au Fauteuil Songeuse la Joue Sur la Main, 1934 Etching on Montval paper with Vollard watermark, Unsigned Edition o 260 10 15/16 x 7 13/16” Bloch 218, Baer 423 B.d.
Sculpteur et Modèle se Regardant Dans un Miroir Cale Sur un Autoportrait Sculpte, 1933 Etching on Montval paper with Vollard watermark, Signed Edition o 260 14 7/16 x 11 3/4” Bloch 178, Baer 331 B.d.
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Marie-Therese Regardant son Corps Sculpte, 1933 Etching on Monval paper with Picasso watermark, Unsigned Edition o 260 10 9/16 x 7 9/16” Bloch 186, Baer 345 IV B.d.
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Harpye a Tete de Taureau et Quatre Petites Filles Sur une Tour Surmontee d’un Drapeau Noir, 1934 Etching on Montval paper with Vollard watermark, Unsigned Edition o 260 9 5/16 x 11 5/8” Bloch 229, Baer 444 B.d.
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Minotaure et Remme Derrière un Rideau, 1933 Etching on Montval paper, paper, Unsigned Edition o 260 7 5/8 x 10 1/2” Bloch 199, Baer 367 B.d.
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Autoportrait Sous Trois Formes: Peintre Couronne, Sculpteur en Buste et Minotaure Amoureux, 1933 Etching on Montval paper, Signed Edition o 50 with large margins 11 3/4 x 14 1/2” Bloch 191, Baer 350 B.c.
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Au Bain Femme au Chapeau a Fleurs et Femme Drapée Dans une Serviette, 1934 Etching on Montval paper with Picasso watermark, Unsigned Edition o 260 10 15/16 x 7 13/16” Bloch 210, Baer 408 B.d.
Jeune Bacchus au Tambourin avec une Bacchante, 1934 Etching with Picasso watermark, Unsigned Edition o 260 10 15/16 x 7 13/16” Bloch 212, Baer 411 B.d.
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Sculpteur et con Modele avec un Buste sur une Colonne, 1933 Etching on Montval paper with Montgolfer watermark, Unsigned Edition o 50 with large margins 7 5/8 x 10 1/2” Bloch 169, Baer 322 B.c.
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Le Repos du Sculpteur, 1933 Etching on Montval paper with Picasso watermark, Unsigned Edition o 260 7 5/8 x 10 1/2” Bloch 171, Baer 324 B.d.
Scupteur avec son Modèle et sa Sculpture, 1933 Etching on Montval paper with Vollard watermark, Unsigned Edition o 260 10 1/2 x 7 5/8” Bloch 154, Baer 307 B.d.
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Pablo Pica sso
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Selections from the Vollard Suite
9 July – September 008 Opening Reception: 9 July :00-6:00 pm
Credits Design: Deborah McSorley Kery Editors: Kate Lincoln and Destiny M. Barletta Images courtesy o John Szoke Editi ons, New York © 2008, Pucker Art Publications Printed in China by Cross Blue Overseas Printing Co.
Vieux Sculpteur Crec Avec Modele Vase Aux Trois Trois Anemones et Autoportraits Sculpte (Le Repos Du Sculpteur IV), 1933 Etching on Montval paper with Picasso watermark, Unsigned Edition o 260 7 5/8 x 10 1/2” Bloch 174, Baer 327 B.d. Bloch 174 Baer 327 B.d.
Cover Image: Marie-Thérèse Considérant son Effe Surréaliste Sculptée, 1933 Etching on Montval paper with a Vollard watermark, Unsigned Edition o 260 10 9/16 x 7 9/16” Bloch 187, Baer 346 B.d.
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