Provenance

The composition was engraved on a zinc intended for etching. Unfortunately the zinc was slightlygrained so instead Picasso had the negative printed on a lithographic press with an excellent result.At the age of 21 Francois Gillot met Pablo Picasso, and the two embarked on a ten-year relationship.Gilot is considered by some to have been his muse, and though her work during this time wasinfluenced by Picasso’s Cubism, her paintings are characterised by a preference for organic forms overPicasso’s use of sharp angles. In 1953, Gilot left Picasso, taking with her their two children, Claude andPaloma, and 11 years later, published the best-selling book Life With Picasso describing their intimatefamily life and artistic collaborations. Gilot went on to maintain studios in La Jolla, New York, and Paris,with her later paintings featuring saturated colour relationships and structured compositions. Picassomade numerous drawings, paintings and prints of his companion and Muse of which this is an excellentand dramatic example.