Depicting the influence art nouveau and impressionism had on Picasso's early works, this image hints at the approaching arrival of the artist's revolutionary Blue Period. Full of painterly applications of color, an embracing couple stands just off center drawing our eye to their intimate exchange. The woman captures our eye with the bright red of her skirt and hair, while the man recedes to the background in dark blue and black. The faces of both figures are obscured, creating a mysterious air that causes the viewer to create their own unique interpretation of the full story behind this work. Further adding to the intrigue of this piece, a draped piece of furniture is hidden beneath a white sheet, and a single chair sits to the right. One can contemplate endless possibilities to this setting; Are they in a café just before closing? Or could they be at the edge of a dance floor, full of other couples just like them? With strong shadows, the lighting and contrast of this work are masterfully composed, exhibiting Picasso's exemplary skill at an early stage of his career.

Created in 1966, this original color collotype with pochoir is hand-signed by Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) in blue in the lower left of the image, this work is numbered 67/125 in pencil the lower left margin. This work is based on an original oil painting from 1900 of the same title

DOCUMENTED AND ILLUSTRATED IN:
1. Warncke, Carsten-Peter, Pablo Picasso 1881-1973, Vol I, 1994, the original painting is listed on pg 60.
2. McCully, Marilyn, Picasso The Early Years 1892-1906, 1997, listed as cat no 41 on pg 124.
3. Spitzer, Guy. Guy Spitzer, Editeur D'Art. Editions Guy Spitzer: PARIS. Listed and illustrated on pg. 12 (another example illustrated).

About the Framing:
Museum-grade conservation framed in a complementary moulding with silk mats and optical grade Plexiglas.