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Email to FriendSigned Pablo Picasso, Lithograph, The King, 1951  |
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| Artist: | Picasso, Pablo (1881 - 1973) |
|---|---|
| Title: | The King, 1951 |
| Reference: | Foster 9 |
| Medium: | Original Color Lithograph |
| Image Size: | 18 7/8 in x 15 9/16 in (48 cm x 39.5 cm) |
| Sheet Size: | 20 3/8 in x 16 3/4 in (51.5 cm x 42.5 cm) |
| Framed Size: | approx. 37 5/16 in x 33 1/8 in (94.8 cm x 84.1 cm) |
| Signed: | This work is hand-signed by Pablo Picasso (Malaga, 1881 - Mougins, 1973) in red pencil at lower right; signed in the stone in blue at lower left: 'Picasso | 12.1.51.' |
| Condition: | This work is in excellent condition, with bright and fresh colors. |
| Gallery Price: Item# 3948 | Sorry, this item is sold. Please visit the rest of our Picasso fine art collection |
| Historical Description: | |
|---|---|
Commissioned by Nice for the city's annual carnival, The King depicts a cheerful king in primary colors. As the traditional emblem of the event, the smiling countenance advertises Nice's identity as a joyous vacation spot. Joseph Foster notes the strokes of varying width achieved by Picasso's use of a flat stub pen over the traditional gouging tool, to create this image (28). Foter also notes the balance and artistic intent behind this seemingly straightforward depiction of the lighthearted king. The artist clearly thought about each aspect of the lithograph during its creation: the single, bold line delineating the face; the use of black to divide the composition in thirds; the harmony between yellow, red, and blue. Picasso's talent and innate understanding of the graphic arts comes through in The King, as it does in all of his works. This work is especially valuable for the connection between the king's jolly outlook and the bright palette chosen to match. Created in 1951, this original color lithograph is hand signed by Pablo Picasso (1881 - 1973) in red pencil in the lower right; the print is also signed in the stone in blue at the lower left: 'Picasso | 12.1.51.' It was printed by l'Imprimerie de la Victoire, Nice. DOCUMENTED AND ILLUSTRATED IN: 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.
