PABLO PICASSO (1881-1973)

Picasso's Bacchanale au taureau, one of approximately 150 linoleum cuts by the artist, dates from the prolific period from 1958 to 1962 when he made most of his prints in this medium. Picasso's dissatisfaction with the multi-block approach to color linoleum cuts led to his prodigious innovation of reduction technique. In this method each color area is carved, inked and printed prior to the carving of the subsequent color areas. Because each step obliterates the preceding design, the sequence of carving and printing must be planned carefully.
In this print Picasso deftly combines both techniques: the sky and the landscape are two separate blocks fitted together, within which are carved the compositional elements of each respective half. The resulting composition is imbued with the bacchanalian verve and vitality that characterizes Picasso's work of the period.