Pablo Picasso was an avid fan of bullfighting his entire life, attending his first corridas when he was a child in Spain and gaining a renewed interest in the events when he settled in the South of France after World War II. Undoubtedly the theatrical drama and flashy machismo of the matadors appealed greatly to Picasso's sensibilities and resonated with his Spanish roots. In 1959, Picasso produced an 8-peice plate series, each featuring a different bullfighting scene suggested through lively stipple lines. Banderilleros A.R. 419, the Spanish word for bullfighters who use sharp decorated sticks to pierce the bull's flesh, depicts the abstracted yellow form of the man raising his banderillas above a charging bull. Beneath them, their deep blue shadows echo the puffing clouds above. In the distance the seats of the area spread around the fighter and the bull, further focusing the attention on their intense interaction.

Created in 1959, Pablo Picasso (Málaga, 1881 – Mougins, 1973) Banderilleros A.R. 419 is numbered from the edition of 50 on the reverse and stamped with the 'MADOURA PLEIN FEU' and ‘EMPREINTE ORIGINALE DE PICASSO' pottery stamps on the reverse.

Catalogue Raisonné & COA:
Pablo Picasso (Málaga, 1881 – Mougins, 1973) Banderilleros, 1959 A.R. 419 is fully documented and referenced in the below catalogue raisonnés and texts (copies will be enclosed as added documentation with the invoices that will accompany the sale of the work).

1. Ramié, Alain. Picasso Catalogue of the edited ceramic works 1947-1971. Vallauris: Madoura; 1988. Listed and illustrated as catalogue raisonné no. 419.
2. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany this artwork.