Picasso Printmaker

Exhibition at the British Museum, London, 7 November 2024 - 30 March 2025

Printmaking played an essential role in the long artistic career of Pablo Picasso (1881-1973), from his early years in Paris to his old age. His engravings often reflect his strong sense of belonging to an artistic lineage stretching back to antiquity (due to his kinship with the Mediterranean world of his native Malaga), as well as to great artists of the past such as Raphael, Rembrandt and Ingres.

This exhibition catalogue analyses how the technical challenges of using different printing media (etching, aquatint, linocut and lithography) inspired Picasso's creativity. As well as an astonishing selection of works on paper by the Spanish artist, it also includes sculptures, drawings and engravings by other artists and cultures of the same type as those that inspired Picasso. A section of the book is devoted to the contradictions and controversies surrounding Picasso's relationships with his wives and mistresses.