1950s Picasso, Original "The Old Guitarist" Period Lithograph

Description

A beautiful original period offset lithograph after oil painting The Old Guitarist (1903) by Pablo Picasso from his first limited … more A beautiful original period offset lithograph after oil painting The Old Guitarist (1903) by Pablo Picasso from his first limited edition folio, created while the great artist was still living, published in the mid of 20th c. Signed in the print. The title, size, and other information on the original painting will be found by lifting the lithograph. Printed on 1 side. Attached to a heavy sheet of paper. Pablo Picasso himself picked pieces for this his First American Edition. Excellent condition - never used.

11"W x 14.75"H overall
7.5" x 9.75" H image only

This painting of a blind wailing guitarist summarizes the stylistic extremes of the Blue period. The composition is characteristic - a single figure placed against a relatively simple background. The expressive distortions, reminiscent of El Greco and certain Romanesque sculptures, have become so exaggerated that they seem mannered. The painfully thin cadaver of the aged beggar is cramped and twisted into a sitting position. Like the window, whose glimpse of sky silhouettes the bent head, the straight lines of the picture frame emphasize the angular and contorted pose of the cross-legged musician.

The guitar, whose melody is the music of pain, was to become a frequent image in the language of Picasso's Cubist painting. How different its appearance here where the instrument (albeit seven-stringed) is more nationalistically described than the player himself. less