Live Auction 7747Old Master, Modern & Contemporary Prints
Pablo Picasso (1881-1973)
Lot 85

Pablo Picasso (1881-1973)

Tête d'Homme barbu (not in Bloch; cf. Baer 572 bis)

Closed17 September 2009

Price Realised

GBP 12,500

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Pablo Picasso (1881-1973)
Tête d'Homme barbu (not in Bloch; cf. Baer 572 bis)
monotype in grey and black over a white gouache ground, 1932, on laid paper, an extremely rare impression of this subject, one of only two impressions in this colour combination (there were also two with a pure white printed background; there was no edition), printed by the artist, with wide margins, very pale mount staining, some stray printing ink in the margins and on the reverse, two registration holes in the lower margin, otherwise in very good condition, framed
L. 262 x 217 mm., S. 455 x 320 mm.

Marina Picasso, with her stamp verso (not in Lugt)

Specialist note

This monotype was produced by the process of erwinographie, a technique based on the use of a light-sensitive gelatin ground onto which a drawing is exposed. The gelatin is then heated to create a hardened surface from which impressions can be pulled and individually coloured. In her note on the technique, Brigitte Baer describes how on 26 May 1932 Picasso experimented with erwinographie, hand-painting the few impressions with greasy printing ink or watercolour thickened with gum arabic. Each impression taken is unique and presents many characteristics of an original painting with the hand-applied gouache ground.