Pablo Picasso Le Pique Picador 1959 Linocut Signed Modern Masters

ARTIST: Pablo Picasso (1881-1973)
TITLE: La Pique en Rouge et Jaune (The Bullfight in Red and Yellow), 1959
MEDIUM: Original Color Linocut
IMAGE SIZE: 25 1/8" x 20 7/8" (63.8cm x 53cm)
SHEET SIZE: 29 ½" x 24 ½" (74.9cm x 62.2cm)
FRAMED SIZE: 42 ½" x 39 ¾" (107.95cm x 100.97cm)
SIGNATURE: Hand signed by Pablo Picasso (1881 - 1973) in red pencil in the lower right margin.
EDITION: Out of the edition of 5 trial proofs (aside from the edition of 50), pulled in red and yellow, signed and annotated on the lower margin in Red crayon
CONDITION: The work is in very good condition with bright, vibrant colors throughout, there are some minor printing creases outside the image in the margins, not affecting image itself.
PRICE: $85,000

DISCUSSION:
This is an extremely rare, virtually unique proof of this important image!

Created in 1959, this work is hand signed by Pablo Picasso (1881 - 1973) in red crayon in the lower right margin and inscribed along the bottom margin: 'bon vous le jaune mais rouge plus formé.' According to Baer, this state A impression linocut of La Pique was printed by Arnéra, Vallauris and published by Louise Leiris, Paris.

Exploding with incredibly bright orange-reds and a sunny yellow, this print is able to light up any room and any viewer who is able to stand before it. It is a lively work, seemingly radiating an energy and vibrance unlike any other linoleum cut by Pablo Picasso. He is able to fill the entire composition with vast, broad surfaces of color amidst a plane of varied curved lines and forms. Despite the abstracted imagery so iconic of Picasso's style, we are still able to make out the profile of a butting bull and our heroic picador in the center of a ring and a massive audience that towers in the background. La Pique becomes the quintessential example of Picasso's ability to transform the medium of the linoleum cut, crafting this printmaking method to its best.

CATALOGUE RAISONNÉ & COA: It 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. Baer, Brigitte. Picasso Peintre-Graveur, Catalogue Raisonné de l'œuvre grave et des monotypes 1959 - 1965, Tome V, Editions Kornfeld: Berne, 1989. Listed and illustrated as catalogue raisonné no. 1227A on pg. 261.
2. Bloch, Georges. Pablo Picasso: Catalogue de l'œuvre grave et lithographié 1904 - 1967 Tome I, Editions Kornfeld: Berne, 1984. Listed and illustrated at catalogue raisonné no. 908 on pg. 198.
3. Boeck, Wilhelm, intr. Picasso Linoleum Cuts: Bacchanals, Women, Bulls & Bullfighters, Harry N. Abrams, Inc.: New York, 1988. Listed and illustrated as Plate 5.
4. Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Picasso: Sixty Years of Graphic Works, New York Graphic Society: Greenwich, 1966. Listed and illustrated as catalogue raisonné no. 318 on pg. 129.
5. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Picasso Linoleum Cuts: The Mr. and Mrs. Charles Kramer Collection in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Random House: New York, 1985. Listed and illustrated as catalogue raisonné no. 15 on pg. 30.
6. The Online Picasso Project, Texas A&M University. Listed and illustrated as catalogue raisonné no. OPP.59:007. http://picasso.tamu.edu/picasso/

ABOUT THE FRAMING:
Conservation framed with museum quality archival materials, this work is set in a striking Spanish-style black and gold leaf frame with organic, sculptural details. The varied gold hues of the frame add depth to the piece and compliment the warm tones in this work. The waved elements of the moulding accentuate the loose linear quality of this piece. Completed with white, linen-wrapped mats and a matching gold inner fillet, this work is set behind and archival Plexiglas® cover.

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