Pochoir from Picasso's Blue Period
"Femme au Chale" or "Woman with a Shawl," from Les Bleus de Barcelone depicts a woman in waiting, likely at a Barcelona social venue. Picasso's use of bright color suggests that this isn't just another melancholy portrait of another Barcelona outcast but rather someone of importance of of whom he had affection for. This recurring theme of painting subjects that tended to be friends, family, familiar scenes, and acquaintances was common during his retreat to Barcelona, as his world and social network expanded his subjects became more varied.
The artist resided in Barcelona from 1895 to 1904 in the old quarter of the city, surrounded by a vibrant intellectual atmosphere and a landscape of social and ideological struggles. During this time period he expressed the world around him in his academic yet artistic approach, depicting the lower rungs of society in a series of gouache, charcoal, pastel, and watercolor portraits.
This rare lithograph with Pochoir by hand (a process popularized by Picasso in the 20th century) is numbered 38 from a total of 500. These lifetime works are becoming increasingly rare in the hands of private collectors worldwide and are identical to the pieces in the collection of the Museu Picasso, Barcelona and New York’s Museum of Modern Art (MoMa).
The portfolio and this piece were originally sold to commemorate the opening of the Picasso museum in Barcelona, Spain that same year. Both the portfolio and the museum highlight Picasso's most formative years.
Artwork Details
- Artist: Pablo Picasso
- Category: Limited Edition
- Medium: Lithograph with Pochoir
- Edition: 38 of 500
- Signature: Plate Signed
- Image Size: 13" x 11¼"
- Printer: Daniel Jacomet
- Paper Type: Rives
- Publisher: Au Vent d'Arles, 1963
- Reference: Cramer 122, Orozco's Book Illustration 217, Bloch 1130
Includes COA from Gold & Silver Pawn Shop