Pablo Picasso

Paul Lemagny

Portrait of Picasso.

1956.

Engraved portrait by Lemagny, drypoint notes by Picasso.

Copper:  27,5 x 39,5 cm.

Paper: 38 x 56 cm

Bibliography: Bloch 823; Baer 955.

Very fine proof on Japanese copper, before the copper was cut, annotated under the portrait "épreuve d'artiste" and signed by Lemagny in pencil, enriched with the engraved notes by Picasso and signed by him in red pencil.

The portrait of Picasso was engraved by Lemagny for Jean Cocteau's book, Témoignage, Paris, Pierre Bertrand, 1956, in which the subject is taken from the reduced copper plate. Our print is part of a series of prints made by the Moret workshops, before copper was reduced, of which Brigitte Baer lists 32 proofs on imitation Japanese, 65 on Rives vellum and some artist's proofs like ours, signed by both artists.