Pablo Picasso (1881–1973)
L'Atelier de Cannes (Cover for Ces Peintres Nos Amis, Vol. II), 1958–1960
Original colour lithograph by Pablo Picasso, created from the celebrated L'Atelier de Cannes composition and published as the cover image for the deluxe edition of Ces Peintres Nos Amis, Volume II. The work was printed by the legendary Atelier Mourlot, Paris, and issued in a limited edition of only 250 copies for Galerie 65, Cannes.
Executed during Picasso's highly productive Cannes period, the composition reflects the vibrant atmosphere of the artist's studio environment through a dynamic interplay of figures, objects, abstract forms and spontaneous graphic notation. Richly coloured and visually energetic, the image exemplifies Picasso's mature graphic language of the late 1950s, combining freedom of line with bold chromatic experimentation.
According to the standard reference literature, Picasso revisited and enriched an earlier studio composition by adding a complex palette of additional colours, transforming the image into one of the most visually striking lithographs associated with his Cannes years. The resulting work was transferred to stone and printed by Mourlot, the master printer responsible for many of Picasso's most important lithographic projects.
Printed on Arches paper and bearing Picasso's signature in the plate, L'Atelier de Cannes is referenced in the major catalogues raisonnés as Mourlot 279, Bloch 794, and Reuße 677. The image served as the cover illustration for the luxury edition of Ces Peintres Nos Amis, Vol. II, published in Cannes in 1960.
Artist: Pablo Picasso (1881–1973)
Title: L'Atelier de Cannes
Date: 1958–1960
Medium: Original colour lithograph
Printer: Mourlot, Paris
Publisher: Galerie 65, Cannes
Paper: Arches paper
Edition: 250 copies
References: Mourlot 279; Bloch 794; Reuße 677
Publication: Ces Peintres Nos Amis, Volume II, 1960
Provenance: Private Collection, France.
