Utilizing bold yellow lines, Picasso depicts two geometric doves captured in a moment of procreative zest. Picasso's lines appear seamless, and the birds nearly identical, except for the female's round face and closed beak versus the male's rectangular face and open beak. Picasso places the two birds against a blank background at the center of the composition, a simple setup that allows the viewer to appreciate Picasso's simple line work. The composition remains balanced and nearly symmetrical, with one bird atop of the other and their triangular tails neatly crossed to the left.

Created in 1946, this original color lithograph is hand signed by Pablo Picasso (Malaga, 1881- Mougins, 1973) in pencil in the lower right and numbered 18/25 (from the edition of 25) in pencil in the lower right; also annotated '29 juin 46' in yellow in the stone in the lower left.

DOCUMENTED AND ILLUSTRATED IN:

1. Cantz, Hatje. Picasso Lithographs. Edited by Ulrike Gauss. Germany: Hatje Cantz Publishers, 2000. Listed and illustrated as no. 158 on pg. 74.
2. Bloch, Georges. Pablo Picasso: Tome I 1904- 1967. Switzerland: Editions Kornfeld et Cie, Berne, 1984. Listed and illustrated as no. 406 on pg. 114.

About the Framing:
Conservation framed with archival materials and museum quality, this work is set in a Spanish style black and gold moulding. The bright hues of the moulding compliment the bold yellow lines in the work. The sculptural details provide a nice contrast against the minimal, geometric line work of the piece. Completed with cream linen wrapped mattes and a matching gold inner fillet, this work is set behind an archival Plexiglas cover.