Boldly composed with rich dark tones and opaque shapes, this piece evokes a sense of ambiguity and mystery. Utilizing simple shapes and lines to create complex imagery, Picasso’s abstract technique takes on a multitude of layers in this work. Depicting the portrait of an actor one can only presume who the artist is illustrating by the title, ‘Tete d’Histrion.’ Rather than creating the facial features with an outlined form, Picasso creates the form from within. Shapes overlap and intersect to create various textures, highlights, and shadows of the face. Using a dark brown as the highlight to an otherwise black scene, the viewer is drawn in to the image through the use of dark tones.

Created in 1965, Tete d’Histrion (Head of an Actor), 1965 is a color linocut on cream Arches paper hand-signed by Pablo Picasso (Malaga, 1881 – Mougins, 1973) in pencil in the lower right margin. Numbered from the edition of 200 in pencil in the lower left margin, this work was printed and published by Arnéra, Vallauris.

Catalogue Raisonné & COA:
Pablo Picasso Tete d’Histrion (Head of an Actor), 1965 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. Bloch, Georges, Pablo Picasso, Catalogue de l’oeuvre grave et lithographie 1966-1969, Tome II, 1977, listed as catalogue raisonne no. 1849
2. Baer, Brigitte. Picasso: Peintre-graveur, Tome V 1959-1965. Berne: Editions Kornfeld, 1989. Listed and illustrated as catalogue raisonné no. 1360-B
3. Lieberman, William S. and McVinney, L. Donald, Picasso Linoleum Cuts, 1985, listed as catalogue raisonné no. 107.
4. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany this work.

About the Framing:
Framed to museum-grade, conservation standards, Pablo Picasso Tete d’Histrion (Head of an Actor), 1965 is presented in a complementary moulding and finished with silk-wrapped mats and optical grade Plexiglas.