Pablo Picasso (1881–1973)
Hand-signed and hand-coloured example of La Chèvre à la caisse d’emballage
from Diurnes. Découpages et photographies
Paris: Berggruen, 1962
A rare and highly distinctive hand-worked example from Picasso’s celebrated 1962 artist’s book Diurnes. Découpages et photographies, this sheet is personally hand-signed by Pablo Picasso in blue wax crayon and further enhanced with original hand-colouring in blue, red and yellow wax crayon, transforming the standard printed plate into an individualized mixed-media work of exceptional character.
The present example depicts La Chèvre à la caisse d’emballage (“The Goat at the Packing Crate”), one of the most visually striking and recognizable compositions from the series. The image combines Picasso’s cut-paper forms with André Villers’ photographic backgrounds, creating a poetic and surreal hybrid creature that stands among the most inventive plates from the portfolio.
What makes this example particularly important is the extent and coherence of the manual interventions. Rather than isolated marks, the added colours actively animate the composition:
blue hand-colouring to multiple circular motifs and key compositional points
vivid red tracings across the suspended geometric foreground form
yellow contour enhancement around the angular lower structure
reinforced chromatic facial details, including the characteristic red eyes and blue mouth
bold autograph Picasso signature in blue wax crayon at lower left/right margin area (depending framing orientation)
These additions elevate the sheet beyond the regular edition, placing it in the category of a unique hand-enhanced presentation or studio-worked copy.
A comparable hand-worked example may be seen on The Metropolitan Museum of Art website under the title: Picasso The Bride as She is accession no. 1984.613.7, confirming that specially signed and hand-coloured examples from Diurnes are institutionally recognized and preserved.
Both the Met example and this one where acquired from Olivier and Desiree Berggruen
Diurnes is one of Picasso’s most experimental post-war publishing projects, created in collaboration with photographer André Villers and writer Jacques Prévert. Rather than conventional illustration, the publication merges photography, collage logic, cut-paper imagery and poetic narrative, resulting in one of the most original livres d’artiste of the period.
Standard unsigned examples of individual plates occasionally appear on the market; however, hand-signed and extensively hand-coloured examples are exceptionally scarce, with very few publicly documented comparables.
Catalog references:
Goeppert-Cramer 115
Kat. Basel 115
Bloch, Livres 112
Kibbey 1466
Medium: Printed plate with original hand-colouring in wax crayon and autograph signature
Sheet size: approx. 40 x 30 cm
Date: 1962
Condition: Good overall condition with strong colours and excellent decorative presence.
An exceptional opportunity to acquire a rare hand-personalized Picasso from one of his most innovative late graphic projects.
