Pablo Picasso (Spanish, 1881 - 1973)

"Vieillard assis avec une Femme et Danseuse (Seated Old Man with a Woman and Dancer)" from Séries 347 (Bloch 1719; Geiser/Baer 1736.B.b.1), 1968. Etching and drypoint on Rives paper, signed in pencil lower right, numbered 32/50 in pencil lower left (there were also 17 artist's proofs), reverse date August 3, 1968 in plate upper right, published by Galerie Louise Leiris (Paris) in 1969, printed by Aldo and Piero Crommelynck, in a black frame with raised linen mat, overall 24" x 27".

The “347 Suite” is Pablo Picasso’s largest print series, named for the number of works therein. When released in late 1968, the “347 Suite” quickly made headlines, with reporters baffled by the rapid production of the series. At 86 years old, Picasso had created 347 etchings and aquatints in just seven months. For comparison, Rembrandt van Rijn produced around 300 etchings over the course of his entire career. The suite also drew controversy for its explicit erotic content—20 of the prints, in particular, sparked a debate about whether they should ever be shown publicly. Nevertheless, the “347 Series” toured internationally that same year, displayed at Galerie Louise Leiris in Paris, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

Condition: Very good, clean margins, image in plate is light struck (yellowed).