PABLO PICASSO 1961 A LOS TOROS AVEC PICASSO PORTFOLIO

PABLO PICASSO had his favorite animals. His love for pigeons was well known – it even became an international symbol of peace in a post-war world. But, he is most well known for his bulls. Bulls appear in many of Pablo Picasso’s works and he was a frequent guest to Spanish corridas.

For a giant personality and celebrity of the 20th century art world, it’s not hard to understand why he identified with the Bull. Few symbols in history have signified the raw energies of life itself more potently than the bull. We grab it by the horns to demonstrate our authority over situations, and we wave a red flag in its face to show our fearlessness. 

Pablo Picasso used the bull as a metaphor and, depending on its context, it has been interpreted in various ways. They have been seen as a representation of the Spanish people, a comment on fascism and brutality, a symbol of virility, or a reflection of Picasso’s self image.

However, Pablo Picasso never gave a definitive answer on what the bull meant to him. When asked he said “…this bull is a bull and this horse is a horse… If you give a meaning to certain things in my paintings it may be very true, but it is not my idea to give this meaning. What ideas and conclusions you have got I obtained too, but instinctively, unconsciously. I make the painting for the painting. I paint the objects for what they are.”

LA PIQUE (I), LE PICADOR (II), JEU DE LA CAPE (III), LES BANDERILLES (IV) (1961) by Pablo Picasso from the A Los Toros Avec Picasso Portfolio are a set of four original transfer lithographs. A Los Toros Avec Picasso is referenced in Cramer 113. For more information about Pablo Picasso or the portfolio the A Los Toros Avec Picasso, please contact the gallery. Call for Value