Pablo Picasso - Nu

Original drypoint etching, 11th June 1960, Cannes, on celluloid, printed on Arches paper, signed in pencil.

Size: 145 x 11 mms

References: Bloch, Georges. 1968-1979. Pablo Picasso, catalogue de l'oeuvre gravé et lithographié, 4 vol. Berne: Kornfeld and Klipstein. (I:994)

Geiser, Bernhard and Brigitte Baer. 1986-1996. Picasso: Peintre-Graveur, Catalogue raisonné de l'oeuvre gravé et des monotypes, 7 vols. Berne: Kornfeld. (1082.B)

Goeppert, Sebastian, Herma Goeppert-Frank & Patrick Cramer. 1983. Pablo Picasso: Catalogue Raisonné des livre Illustres. Geneva: Patrick Cramer. (106)

Note: Picasso had engraved the outline of a slim woman on a long thin piece of celluloid cut from the second engraving for Pindar (See Cramer 108). Out of this Benoit made a booklet which included a poem written especially for it : “Une faille/ dans mon ecorce/ a la measure / de Bette dechirure / en moi / je te vois / aflame mute / attentif” (A crack / in my bark / proportionate to / this tear / in me I see you / silent flame / attentive / eyes

The book, by Pierre Andre Benoit was entitled “Toute la vie” and was published in 1960 and the proofs referred to below were included in it. Our piece was issued apart from the book. It can be seen that this is a very rare signed item with only 15 signed copies existing on two different papers.

The celluloid still exists today in the Publishers collection.

Edition: 2/10 (Cramer notes that there was a rare signed edition of 10)

There were also 50 copies on Arches, wove paper (Unsigned).

There were 44 (Unsigned) copies numbered from1/44 to 44/44

6 copies with a suite of on blue Auvergne, signed in pencil and numbered from I/VI to VI/VI

There were 5 HC copies from the unsigned engraving

There were also a number of unsigned Trial Proofs.

Printed & Published by: P A Benoit

Condition: Overall good condition. A narrow horizontal line of reverse staining along the extreme upper margin edge. Framed floating and mounted to the back mat at the verso of the margin corners.

Notable Collections: Musee Picasso, Paris ; Fine Art Museum, San Francisco; MOMA, New York