Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) - Femme et guitariste, 1963 from the series Tauromachia - Linocut 1963.

Original linocut, high weight paper, clear imprint mark, linocut size : 27 x 22,5 cm, made and approved by Picasso for "Picasso Linogravures", issued in an edition of 50 pieces. Making of linocut plates : Picasso in collaboration with Galerie Louise Leiris, imprinted by Hilgardo Arnera in Vallauris. Publisher : Edition Cercle D'Art Paris.References :Ref: Bloch 909"Tauromachia" (Bullfighting) is one of the key themes in Pablo Picasso's oeuvre, and its exploration in the linocut (linocut) technique in the 1960s, and especially in 1963, is particularly significant. Picasso's linocuts from this period, often with a corrida theme, are among the most dynamic and innovative prints in his oeuvre. Linocut enabled the artist to use bold, flat patches of color and strong contrasts to emphasize the intensity of the events in the arena.Picasso revolutionized the linocut technique by developing the "reduction" method (also known as the single-block technique). It involves using only one block of linoleum, which is gradually cut out and printed in successive colors. This resulted in rich colors and textures, and most importantly, once the work was completed, no more prints could be made, adding to the uniqueness of the edition.Although Picasso's famous aquatint series titled. "La Tauromaquia" was created in 1959 (being illustrations for a corrida manual), the subject of bullfighting was a constant obsession for the artist, and he also returned to it in linocuts, including one in 1963.The bullfighting scenes are full of movement, energy and drama. Picasso reduces the figures to essentialized, synthetic forms, often resembling silhouettes or brushstrokes, which gives the scenes an almost archetypal character. In Picasso, the bull is a powerful symbol of nature, strength and destruction (often also symbolizing the Minotaur), while the bullfighter embodies art, control and risk. The very motif of bullfighting is for Picasso a metaphor for life, death, passion and creativity.