Picasso's "Cavalier Surprenant des Femmes..." | Original 156 Series Etching | Plate 59 (Edition 1/50)
This mesmerizing original etching, scraper, and drypoint, titled "Cavalier Surprenant des Femmes Dansant au Clair de Lune" (Plate 59), hails from Pablo Picasso's illustrious 156 Series, the monumental final graphic suite of his historic career. Conceived and etched directly onto the copper plate on February 27, 1971, in Mougins, this composition depicts a theatrical nocturnal encounter where an equestrian cavalier interrupts a circle of dancing female figures beneath a crescent moon. Employing burin, drypoint, and delicate scraper work to craft contrasting passages of velvety black burr and radiant white line, Picasso orchestrates a timeless bacchanalian tableau celebrating mythology, movement, and erotic vitality.
Carrying the coveted designation of Edition 1/50, this artwork was pulled on crisp, deckle-edged Vélin de Rives paper by Picasso's intimate master printers, Aldo & Piero Crommelynck in Mougins, and published posthumously in 1978 by Galerie Louise Leiris in Paris. Number one of the limited run of fifty, this museum-grade impression represents an extraordinary opportunity for serious art collectors and institutions seeking an iconic work from Picasso's twilight mastery.
Artwork Details
- Artist: Pablo Picasso
- Title: Plate No. 59, Cavalier Surprenant des Femmes Dansant au Clair de Lune
- Date: February 27, 1971
- Medium: Original Etching, Scraper, & Drypoint
- Edition: 1/50
- Signature: Printed Signature (stamped as issued for the 156 Series)
- Image Size: 8" x 5 ⅞"
- Paper Size: 12 13⁄16" x 9 ⅞"
- Paper Type: Vélin de Rives
- Printer: Aldo & Piero Crommelynck, Mougins, France
- Publisher: Galerie Louise Leiris, Paris, 1978
- Reference: Bloch 1914, Baer 1921, Orozco Etchings Vol. 3 No. 2948
Includes COA from Gold & Silver Pawn Shop
Framing included, as pictured