Marlborough Fine Art, London will hold an important exhibition of prints by Pablo Picasso celebrating the theme of woman as muse in various graphic media, ranging from etching and drypoint, to linocut and lithography. It is the second and final venue for this show, which was highly acclaimed by The New York Times during its installation at Marlborough Gallery, New York. It is the first comprehensive overview of the subject as specifically depicted in Picasso’s graphic oeuvre.
In an exploration of Picasso’s extraordinary creativity and pioneering use of the media of printmaking, the theme of ‘the muse’ provides an important new perspective for appreciating his significant achievements in printmaking. The show will feature works spanning his entire career from his first print, Le Repas frugal, 1905, to selections from the tour-de-force of his late period, the Suite 347 of 1968.
Marilyn McCully, in her essay for the exhibition catalogue, comments on the importance of the graphic medium to Picasso:
‘Prints, which have traditionally been created in series, offered Picasso a special opportunity to explore narrative as one composition leads to the next. A sequence of etchings, engravings or aquatints, which he exploited to compose complex myths and stories rather than simple illustrations, also allowed him to probe visual ideas in new directions. The scenes that he was inspired by a succession of Muses are acted out by a cast of familiar characters (including the artist himself), who often change roles and appear in different combinations, performing on a very personal stage. The intimate scale of printmaking and of the prints themselves also provided an occasion for Picasso to reflect on the nature of his art and the creative process and to probe deeply into his inner most thoughts and desires.’
A 192 page fully illustrated catalogue is available for purchase. The catalogue features an essay by Marilyn McCully and a detailed chronology of Picasso's printmaking.
Marilyn McCully taught art history at Princeton University, 1974-81, and since then has worked in London as an independent scholar and editor.
For any further information on the works in the exhibition, please contact Frankie Rossi: frossi@marlboroughfineart.com
For all media enquires and to request a copy of the catalogue, please contact Annabel Robinson at FMcM Associates on 020 7405 7422 or email annabelr@fmcm.co.uk