Pablo Picasso, Le Clown et l'Harlequin (The Clown and the Harlequin), 1971
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Email to FriendSigned Pablo Picasso, Lithograph, Le Clown et l'Harlequin (The Clown and the Harlequin), 1971  |
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| Artist: | Picasso, Pablo (1881 - 1973), After |
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| Title: | Le Clown et l'Harlequin (The Clown and the Harlequin), 1971 |
| Medium: | Original Color Lithograph |
| Image Size: | 22 3/4 in x 17 1/2 in (57.7 cm x 44.5 cm) |
| Sheet Size: | 30 1/2 in x 22 in (77.4 cm x 56 cm) |
| Framed Size: | 42 1/2 in x 36 1/2 in (108 cm x 92.7 cm) |
| Signed: | Hand signed by Pablo Picasso (Malaga, 1881 - Mougins, 1973) in pencil in the lower right margin. |
| Edition: | Artist's proof numbered in Roman numbers XIII/XXV ea (Epreuve d'Artiste or artist's proof) in pencil in the lower left margin (aside from the edition of 100). |
| Condition: | This work is in excellent condition, the colors are bright and fresh. |
| Gallery Price: Item# 3368 | Sorry, this item is sold. Please visit the rest of our Picasso fine art collection |
| Historical Description: | |
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| Walking side by side, a clown and a harlequin appear as comical characters in
this colorful work. The clown to the left dons a sombrero-like hat and loose,
striped garment. He is not immediately recognizable as a clown, for he does
not carry props or wear makeup. However, his slightly oversize hands and feet
contribute to his jocular persona. The clown's large companion, the harlequin,
walks slightly ahead, gazing back at the clown as if engaged in conversation.
He wears a trademark red and yellow diamond patterned suit and black mask but
also dons a black cape, as if hiding himself from the outside world. Picasso's
use of vibrant reds, blues, greens, and yellows and erratic, jagged lines add
a sense of liveliness and motion to the piece. The two figures, however, do
not appear extremely animated, for they do not smile or gesture wildly as one
might expect from a clown and a harlequin. Their faces remain stoic, as if they
are caught up in a somewhat serious moment after their humorous performances,
exemplifying the human side to these usually buffoon-like characters.
Created in 1971, this work is hand signed by Pablo Picasso (Malaga, 1881 - Mougins, 1973) in pencil in the lower right margin. This work is an artist's proof numbered in Roman numbers XIII/XXV ea (Epreuve d'Artiste or artist's proof) in pencil in the lower left margin (aside from the edition of 100). This work was printed by Henri Deschamps. DOCUMENTED AND ILLUSTRATED IN: 1. Czwiklitzer, Christoph. Pablo Picasso Plakate 1923-1973. Germany 1981. Illustrated as catalogue no. 437. ABOUT THE FRAMING: | |
| Style: | Cubism, Blue Period, Rose Period, 20th Century Spanish Modern Master, Madoura ceramics of Vallauris, Vollard |
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Biography of Pablo Picasso
Pablo Picasso (1881 - 1973)
"Yet Cubism and Modern art weren't either scientific or intellectual; they were visual and came from the eye and mind of one of the greatest geniuses in art history. Pablo Picasso, born in Spain, was a child prodigy who was recognized as such by his art-teacher father, who ably led him along. The small Museo de Picasso in Barcelona is devoted primarily to his early works, which include strikingly realistic renderings of casts of ancient sculpture.
"He was a rebel from the start and, as a teenager, began to frequent the Barcelona cafes where intellectuals gathered. He soon went to Paris, the capital of art, and soaked up the works of Manet, Gustave Courbet, and Toulouse-Lautrec, whose sketchy style impressed him greatly. Then it was back to Spain, a return to France, and again back to Spain - all in the years 1899 to 1904.
"Before he struck upon Cubism, Picasso went through a prodigious number of styles - realism, caricature, the Blue Period, and the Rose Period. The Blue Period dates from 1901 to 1904 and is characterized by a predominantly blue palette and subjects focusing on outcasts, beggars, and prostitutes. This was when he also produced his first sculptures. The most poignant work of the style is in Cleveland's Museum of Art, La Vie (1903), which was created in memory of a great childhood friend, the Spanish poet Casagemas, who had committed suicide. The painting started as a self-portrait, but Picasso's features became those of his lost friend. The composition is stilted, the space compressed, the gestures stiff, and the tones predominantly blue. Another outstanding Blue Period work, of 1903, is in the Metropolitan, The Blind Man's Meal. Yet another example, perhaps the most lyrical and mysterious ever, is in the Toledo Museum of Art, the haunting Woman with a Crow (1903).
"The Rose Period began around 1904 when Picasso's palette brightened, the paintings dominated by pinks and beiges, light blues, and roses. His subjects are saltimbanques (circus people), harlequins, and clowns, all of whom seem to be mute and strangely inactive. One of the premier works of this period is in Washington, D.C., the National Gallery's large and extremely beautiful Family of Saltimbanques dating to 1905, which portrays a group of circus workers who appear alienated and incapable of communicating with each other, set in a one-dimensional space.
"In 1905, Picasso went briefly to Holland, and on his return to Paris, his works took on a classical aura with large male and fernale figures seen frontally or in distinct profile, almost like early Greek art. One of the best of these of 1906 is in the Albright-Knox Gallery in Buffalo, NY, La Toilette. Several pieces in this new style were purchased by Gertrude (the art patron and writer) and her brother, Leo Stein.
Picasso enjoyed creating his art on many media. From paintings to etchings to ceramics, all of his works are a testament to his skills. There are even Picasso prints that are worth more than unique original works.
