A la ville de Cordoue from Vingt poëmes
Pablo Picasso
Spanish, 1881–1973
1947, published 1948
A bold, intimate portrait rendered as an aquatint print from Picasso’s illustrated book Vingt poëmes, where the artist pares a face down to a few sweeping black gestures to conjure presence rather than a detailed likeness.
What hits you first are the thick, calligraphic black marks—hair like a crown, simplified eyes and mouth and a dark, ruffled collar—set against the paper’s bright whiteness so the figure seems to float and speak directly.
The work exemplifies Picasso’s late exploration of printmaking techniques (aquatint, drypoint, engraving) and his move toward expressive simplification, bringing modernist immediacy to the long European tradition of illustrated poetry books.
Medium
Aquatint from an illustrated book with 26 aquatints (ten with drypoint, six with engraving, and two with etching), 14 drypoints (one with engraving), and one engraving
Dimensions
composition (irreg.): 11 13/16 x 9 1/16" (30 x 23 cm); page: 14 15/16 x 11 1/8" (38 x 28.2 cm)
Classification
Department
Credit
The Louis E. Stern Collection
Accession
988.1964.34
Palette
Art Terms
Exhibitions
