Figuratively Speaking: Figures and Portraits

Known as one of the most influential artists of the 20th century, Picasso’s contributions to figurative art are immeasurable. Picasso is widely known for his paintings and sculpture, his work in printmaking is just as prolific. 

Picasso worked with Mourlot Studios over several months to create over 400 lithographic prints between 1945 and 1969. During this time, Picasso lithographs were experimented in ways the medium had never seen before. With unconventional methods like finger painting, using bright colors, and creating plates from collage and mixed media, Picasso confused and frustrated the master printmakers in Mourlot’s atelier. “He looked, he listened, he did the opposite of what he had learnt- and it worked,” Mourlot, the famous publisher and printer, once said of Picasso’s lithograph knowledge. He wanted to print in ways that had never been done before, and the printmakers doubted what he was trying to do was even possible. But Picasso not only succeeded in creating his desired prints but he excelled in these new techniques.