Portrait of Claude (from Paloma et Claude), 1950: Pablo Picasso

Pablo Picasso (1881–1973)

Portrait of Claude (from Paloma et Claude*), 1950

Lithograph on wove paper

Printed by Atelier Mourlot, Paris

Published in Picasso Lithographe II, by André Sauret, Monte-Carlo, 1950

Catalogue references: Bloch 664; Mourlot 186; Cramer 60

*The dimensions and composition of this impression suggest that it contains the Claude portion of the original composition Paloma et Claude and was likely separated from the complete sheet at a later date.

Claude Picasso (1947–2023), the eldest child of Pablo Picasso and Françoise Gilot, was a frequent subject of his father's work during the late 1940s and early 1950s. Alongside portraits of Claude's younger sister, Paloma, these intimate family studies reveal a more personal side of Picasso's art, created during a period of renewed experimentation in lithography.

This lithograph derives from Paloma et Claude, reproduced in Picasso Lithographe II, the celebrated catalogue of Picasso's lithographs compiled by Fernand Mourlot and published by André Sauret in 1950. Printed by the renowned Atelier Mourlot in Paris, the original composition depicts both of Picasso's children, Paloma and Claude. The dimensions and composition suggest that this impression represents the Claude portion of the original work, which was likely separated from the complete sheet at a later date.

Executed with rich, painterly lithographic washes and expressive black tones, the portrait demonstrates Picasso's extraordinary ability to evoke character through remarkably economical means. Claude's direct gaze and softly modelled features reveal the artist's sensitivity as a portraitist, while the fluid handling and painterly lithographic washes exemplify the spontaneity and expressive freedom that distinguish many of Picasso's finest lithographs from this period.

Although no longer preserved in its original full-sheet format, this impression remains an authentic period lithograph printed by Atelier Mourlot from Picasso's original composition. It offers collectors an engaging example of Picasso's post-war graphic work and a poignant glimpse into one of the artist's most personal and enduring subjects.

Framed with Conservation Mat, Acid-free Foamboard and UV70 Art Glass

Size 57cm x 66cm (Framed)