Suite Vollard

The Vollard Suite, probably the most important series of prints of the 20th century, was commissioned by Ambroise Vollard, a leading art dealer in Paris. Begun in 1930 and completed in 1937, this series of one hundred etchings explores the artist’s studio as a creative space and provides an intimate look into the mind of Picasso. Exemplifying the neoclassical style that emerged from his study of Classical sculpture, the series shows Picasso employing an array of references from mythology and the history of art to examine the mysteries of the artist’s creative powers. Set primarily in the artist’s studio, Picasso eroticizes the relationship between the artist, model, and art in the series. He casts himself in the role of the sculptor with his then mistress, Marie-Thérèse Walter, as his muse. At Hispanic Antiques we have a stunning example, HA0109 , with the artist and his muse reclining behind a sculpture of a centaur embracing a woman. Picasso was highly influenced by the sculpture of Rodin and here he seems to have combined the famous bronzes of ‘The Kiss’ and one of a centaur.