Pablo Picasso

PABLO PICASSO (Málaga, 1881–Mougins, France, 1973), according to; JACQUES VILLON (Damville, 1875–Puteaux, 1963), printmaker.
“Still Life,” 1927.
Etching and aquatint in black on Arches vellum paper, print no. 9/9.
Signed in pencil by Picasso and numbered.
One of the nine black proofs preceding the edition of 200 color prints, published by the Galerie Bernheim-Jeune in Paris in 1928.
Bibliography: Ginestet and Pouillon, E 652.
Measurements: 27.4 × 50.4 cm (plate); 56 × 76 cm.

The composition brings together motifs common in Picasso’s still lifes—the guitar, fabrics, and a head with classical overtones—within a fragmented space, constructed through overlapping planes and strong hallmarks of contrast between blacks, grays, and the paper’s natural tones. The geometric simplification of the objects maintains the Cubist legacy, albeit with a more decorative and monumental style.

The work dates to a period when Picasso was alternating between Cubist experimentation and the classicism he developed after World War I. The presence of the classical head and ornamental motifs reflects that dialogue between modernity and Mediterranean tradition, characteristic of much of his work from the 1920s.

The print was engraved by Jacques Villon based on Picasso’s composition. This copy belongs to the limited series of nine proofs printed in black prior to the final color edition, a fact that enhances its significance within the print run.

Pablo Picasso was one of the great innovators of 20th-century art and a pivotal figure in the development of Cubism. His career is represented in dedicated museums such as the Museo Picasso Málaga, the Museu Picasso in Barcelona, and the Musée Picasso in Paris, which houses one of the largest public collections of the artist’s work. His works are also part of the collections of institutions such as MoMA in New York and the Tate in London.