Jeune Femme. Portrait of a Young Woman. Portrait of Françoise Gilot by Pablo Picasso, 1881-1973

Pablo Picasso, 1881-1973
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Jeune Femme. Portrait of a Young Woman. Portrait of Françoise Gilot

Original lithograph in black ink. 1949. Signed, inscribed to Mourlot ?Pour son Centenaire - For his Centenary? and dated 25.2.53 by Picasso, all in facsimile in red ink in the stone (see note below). Proof for the edition of 75 impressions (plus 25 proofs) issued for the Centenaire Mourlot album. Printed at the studio of Mourlot, 1949. Edition issued by Mourlot, Paris, 1968.
Ref: Mourlot - Picasso Lithographs No. 153; Bloch 1836.

Excellent very strong impression. On pale cream chine appliqué laid on pale cream wove Arches paper, as issued. Excellent condition. Full margins. Sheet: 25 7/8" x19¾". Image: 15 5/8" x 11 5/8" (395x296 mm).

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The years from 1947 to 1950 were a moment of supreme achievement in Picasso?s graphic work in lithography. He had drawn his first lithographs in the 1920?s but in the late 1940?s he returned to work at the Mourlot studio. He was immediately deeply enthused by the extreme range of tones, textures and types of line that he learned at the studio, inventing for himself totally new variations in methods of working the stone. He seemed to approach each image with fresh eyes, rethinking all the accepted ideas and creating completely new visual effects. It was a moment of the greatest genius in his art.

One of the underlying reasons for the inventive richness of this period of Picasso?s art was that it was a moment when he was calmly happy in his passionate affair with Françoise Gilot. The stimulus of this home life allowed him to turn his full energies to his art. The dominant theme in the works of these years is portraits of Françoise. He used the lines and rhythms of her face as a vehicle for new expressions of form, light and emotion.

Jeune Femme is a study of Françoise. It is also a brilliantly inventive work of lithography, combining brush, tone, textures and reversed highlights to create a hauntingly beautiful image. The lithograph was drawn and editioned in 1949. However, the whole edition was put on one side to be issued in the great ?Centenary Album? which Mourlot was then preparing in celebration of the 100 years of the studio. When issued no impressions were individually pencil signed; all, as in this proof, were signed using a facsimile signature and inscription by Picasso printed in red ink.