This lithograph is one of Picasso’s 29 exceptional and rare Portraits Imaginaires. The artist began the series during a feverish painting spell at the beginning of 1969, aged 87. After poor press from exhibitions, he was exhausted and depressed and, inspired by the colours of the south of France, and Rembrandt’s prolific output right up until his death, he began to do something he had never done before. He saved corrugated paper and other packaging materials from the deliveries of art supplies, and on 30th January, he started painting these mainly masculine portraits inspired by images of his father, Rembrandt, Shakespeare, Balzac and others. He finished his 29th painting on the 7th May, 1969. So excited with the results, Picasso spent many months with Marcel Salinas to reproduce his first ever series of original works as fine art lithographs. Two print runs of 250 copies were made: one for the French market and one for America.

Floated on cream mount with a charcoal frame.