Pablo Picasso, Femme assise (Seated Woman), 1955

Artist: Pablo Picasso (1881 - 1973)
Title:Femme assise (Seated Woman), 1955
Reference:Czwiklitzer 104, Rodrigo 68
Medium:Color Lithograph
Image Size:36 1/5 in x 23 3/5 in (92 cm x 60 cm)
Sheet Size:40 3/5 in x 27 in (103 in x 68.5 cm)
Framed Size:approx. 50 in x 37 in (127 cm x 94 cm)
Edition:Numbered from the edition of 100 in the lower left margin; bearing printed inscription above edition number: 'MOURLOT LITH.'
Signature:This work is hand-signed by Pablo Picasso (Malaga, 1881 - Mougins, 1973) in pencil in the lower right margin.
Condition:This work is in excellent condition with rich color.
ID #w-4867

Historical Description

Depicting Picasso’s muse and lover Dora Maar, a painter and photographer in her own right, this work beguiles the viewer. Its abstracted imagery recalls the artist’s seminal painting Les Demoiselles d’Avignon (1907), a canvas that secured his place in art history. Femme assise is a half-length portrait showing Dora with her arms framing her body; in one arm she holds a piece of fruit. Her eyes, set on different levels, are large and somewhat haunting. They hold the viewer’s gaze, and one can only imagine what it must have been like to be in Picasso’s place, meeting her look. The tight margins and defined, close space of the yellow room enforce this sense of intimacy, hinting at deeper, more complicated layers of emotion.

Created after the original oil on canvas entitled Woman’s Face (Dora Maar), 1944 this work was commissioned for a 1955 exhibition of the artist’s work at the Musée des art décoratifs, Paris. Created in 1955, this color lithograph is hand-signed by Pablo Picasso (Malaga, 1881 – Mougins, 1973) in the lower right margin. Printed by Mourlot, this work is numbered from the edition of 100 in pencil in the lower left margin.

Catalogue Raisonné & COA:
This work is fully documented and referenced in the below catalogue raisonnés and texts (copies will be enclosed as added documentation with the invoices that will accompany the final sale of the work).

  1. Czwiklitzer, Christopher. Pablo Picasso Plakate 1923 – 1973. München: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH & Co., 1981. Another version of this work is listed and illustrated as catalogue raisonné no. 104 and detailed on pg. 546.
  2. Czwiklitzer, Christopher. Picasso's Posters. New York: Random House, 1971. Another version of this work is listed and illustrated as catalogue raisonné no. 92 and detailed on pg. 318.
  3. Rodrigo, Luis Carlos. Picasso in His Posters Vol. I.  Spain: Arte Ediciones, 1992. Another version of this work is listed and illustrated as catalogue raisonné no. 38 on pp. 104-05.
  4. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany this work.

About the Framing:
Framed to archival museum grade conservation standards, this piece is presented in a complementary moulding with silk-wrapped mats and optical-grade Plexiglas.

Subject Matter: Femme Portrait