Pablo Picasso (1881-1973), The Young Acrobat and the Clown, 1976 (1905)

Workshop lithograph, paper 300g, 43 x 34 cm, in light passe - partout size 54 x 45 cm.
Publisher Centro Diffusione Cultura Milano.
On the reverse of the stamp: Succ.Pablo Picasso Coll. Marina Picasso
Paper specially produced for this edition by Cartier Sterzi; edition of 1000 copies; lithographic plates were destroyed to avoid unauthorized prints.

The image according to which, the presented lithograph was created, Picasso painted in 1905 during the so-called Pink Period, when the artist moved away from melancholic blues in favor of warmer colors and circus and Parisian bohemian themes. It depicts "little Louis," a boy hanging around Picasso's studio in Montmartre. Although the boy is holding a pipe (an attribute of adulthood), the wreath of roses on his head gives him an almost angelic, ethereal look. It's a combination of austerity and delicacy.

In 2004, the original was sold for more than $104 million, making it at the time the world's most expensive painting sold at auction.

After the blue period, a pink period arose in Picasso's work between 1904 and 1906. It was a time of optimism and a warming of the image of his works after the melancholic blue period. Picasso's pink period, which fell between 1904 and 1906, was a time of marked change in his biography and works. It was characterized primarily by a warm color palette, dominated by shades of pink, orange and brown, which contrasted with the cool tones of the previous blue period. This color evolution reflected a change in the artist's mood, which shifted from melancholy to more optimistic, though still reflective, themes.

The painting technique in the pink period became much more refined. Picasso began using more complex textures and experimenting with lighting effects, which allowed him to emphasize the psychological significance of figures, mainly from circus life, traveling artists, clowns, acrobats and harlequins, etc.
The works of the Pink period play an important role in Pablo Picasso's biography and serve as a bridge between his earlier, dramatic works and the subsequent stylistic experiments that revolutionized 20th century art and represented the birth of Cubism.

The fixtures shown in the visuals are for illustrative purposes and do not constitute a commercial offer.