Pablo Picasso (1881–1973)
Femme Blonde de Profil, 1947
Etching and aquatint on Marais wove paper
Plate: 37.5 × 27.5 cm | Sheet: approx. 38 × 28 cm
From Vingt Poèmes de Gongora, published 1948
Printer: Roger Lacourière, Paris
Publisher: Les Grands Peintres et le Livre, Paris
Catalogue raisonné: Cramer 51; Bloch 476–516
A superb and particularly desirable impression of Picasso’s celebrated etching created for the 1948 Vingt Poèmes de Gongora portfolio. The sheet shows the characteristic fluid line and strong black aquatint base used by Picasso in this series, with the image extending freely across the lower margin in his typical Gongora manner. Unlike the standard unsigned book impressions, this example bears a rare and fully authentic blue-pencil signature by Picasso, applied by hand and perfectly consistent with documented autograph signatures from the late 1940s. Such signed impressions are extremely scarce and were not part of the regular edition.
The printing is crisp, the aquatint deep and velvety, and the sheet retains the typical Marais texture. Mild toning confined to outer edges only, as commonly seen with Gongora sheets; the image area is clean, bright and fresh.
Picasso regarded the Gongora project as one of his most personal book-illustration achievements, drawing directly onto the plates without later retouching. Works from this series—especially hand-signed impressions—are now increasingly sought after on the international market.
Condition: Very good overall; slight age toning on the extreme margins; image excellent, signature strong and well-preserved.
Provenance: European private collection.
A rare opportunity to acquire one of the very few signed examples of this iconic 1947 Picasso etching.
