Series of “Imaginary portraits”: Mousquetaire (Musketeer) (1969) Printmaking by Pablo Picasso

Sold

See more from Pablo Picasso

The artist offers works on commission

Did you miss the opportunity to buy this work? Good news: the artist can also create a custom work, just for you!

Sold by DAKKARA Art Galleries

Produced in 1969, this lithograph is from Picasso's Portraits Imaginaires suite. At 87 years old Picasso had become a living legend, with tourists flocking to see the master at work in his villa in Mougins, in the south of France. His final years were also extremely prolific, and he seemed to be painting on any material and surface[...]
Produced in 1969, this lithograph is from Picasso's Portraits Imaginaires suite. At 87 years old Picasso had become a living legend, with tourists flocking to see the master at work in his villa in Mougins, in the south of France.

His final years were also extremely prolific, and he seemed to be painting on any material and surface he could get his hands on. Early that year, a delivery of art supplies arrived at Picasso's studio wrapped up in thick paper and boxed in corrugated cardboard. Rather than throw away the packaging, he immediately began to use them as canvases, slathering paint directly onto paper and cardboard and creating these amazing portraits of moustachioed musketeers, abstract female faces, and historical figures like Balzac, Shakespeare, and Rembrandt.

Picasso was so pleased with the results that he sought out a printmaker to reproduce the series and came upon Marcel Salinas. Salinas was a Parisian printmaker who had abandoned a career in law to become an artist and later a renowned printmaker and publisher. He would reproduce Picasso's paintings by hand on lithographic blocks, Picasso occasionally making corrections, before they were printed in two editions of 250 prints.

In a way, these portraits are the perfect Picasso print: they show the evolution of the artist's career from a young portraitist and founder of Cubism to the highly innovative paintings of his later years.

Pablo Picasso was a prolific printmaker, producing over 2,400 original prints throughout his career in a variety of techniques. But until 1945, almost all of his prints were black and white, and only a handful of them were lithographs, a printmaking method that closely resembles painting, enabling artists to draw directly on a stone slab or metal plate. This ratio drastically changed when Picasso met the master printmaker Fernand Mourlot. In just under two decades, Picasso and Mourlot produced over 350 lithographs (many of them in color), experimenting with unconventional techniques like finger painting that pushed the boundaries of the medium.

Related themes

Pablo PicassoPicassoIllustrationMusketeerLithography

Follow
Pablo Picasso was one of the most influential and renowned artists of the 20th century. He was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist, and stage designer, known for[...]

Pablo Picasso was one of the most influential and renowned artists of the 20th century. He was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist, and stage designer, known for his groundbreaking contributions to various art movements, particularly Cubism. Picasso was born on October 25, 1881, in Málaga, Spain, and he passed away on April 8, 1973, in Mougins, France.

Picasso's early works, during his Blue Period and Rose Period, often depicted themes of poverty, melancholy, and circus life. These periods were characterized by the predominant use of blue and rose tones, respectively. One of his notable works from this time is "Les Demoiselles d'Avignon," which marked a transition towards a more abstract and innovative style.

It was in the early 20th century that Picasso, along with Georges Braque, developed the art movement known as Cubism. Cubism shattered traditional artistic conventions by breaking down objects and subjects into geometric shapes and presenting multiple viewpoints simultaneously. This approach to art had a profound impact on the way artists approached representation and perspective.

Throughout his career, Picasso created a vast and diverse body of work, experimenting with different styles and mediums. He is also well-known for his contributions to Surrealism and his exploration of various artistic forms, including ceramics and sculpture.

Picasso's art often reflected his personal life, and he had a complex and colorful personal history. He had numerous relationships and marriages, which influenced the subjects of his art. His work is a rich tapestry of emotions, ideas, and influences, and he is celebrated for his ability to constantly reinvent his artistic style.

Some of Picasso's most famous works include "Guernica," a powerful anti-war painting that portrays the horrors of the Spanish Civil War, and "The Weeping Woman," a part of his series on the Spanish Civil War's suffering. Picasso's impact on the art world is immeasurable, and his legacy continues to influence artists and art enthusiasts worldwide. His ability to push the boundaries of art and constantly innovate has made him an iconic figure in the history of modern art.

See more from Pablo Picasso

View all artworks
Oil | 14.6x10.8 in
Not For Sale
Oil | 19.9x14.6 in
Not For Sale
Printmaking
On Request
Printmaking | 20x30 in
Not For Sale

Artmajeur

Receive our newsletter for art lovers and collectors