Picasso Le clown (The Clown), c. 1961 features a beloved character which consistently reappears in Picasso’s body of work. Playfully designed with vibrant colors and an abstract rendition of a clown, this work illustrates a frequented theme in the artist’s oeuvre. Utilizing bold blocks of color and lyrical linear design elements, Picasso depicts the figure looking directly out at the viewer.

Depicting a bold and playful clown, this work is full of rich bright hues of primary blues, reds, and yellows. The solid black background causes the clown to stand out in strong contrast, capturing the viewer’s attention. Full of lyrical and playful elements such as the sweeping curved line down the center and the bright stars surrounding the figure, the ears are rendered with playful curlicues. The childlike nature of Picasso’s work is evident in this image, taking primary shapes and colors with a lighthearted sense, yet illustrating his mastery of skill and technique in the overall balance and striking effect of this image.

Created circa 1961 after an original drawing, this color offset lithograph on Arches paper with an Arches watermark is hand-signed by Pablo Picasso (Malaga, 1881- Mougins, 1973) in pencil in the lower right; numbered from the edition of 200 in pencil in the lower left.

Catalogue Raisonné & COA:
Picasso The Clown (Le Clown), c. 1961 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 final sale of the work).

1 1) The Picasso Project, Picasso’s Paintings, Watercolors, Drawings and Sculpture, The Sixties I 1960-1963, 2002, the original drawing listed as catalogue raisonné no . 61-012.

2. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany this work.

About the Framing:
Framed to museum-grade, conservation standards, Picasso The Clown (Le Clown), c. 1961 is presented in a complementary moulding and finished with silk-wrapped mats and optical grade Plexiglas.