Pablo Picasso - Portrait of Dora Maar (1954)

Portrait of Dora Maar (1954)

Artist: After Pablo Picasso
Title: Portrait of Dora Maar
Year of publication: 1954 (after the 1940 original)
Medium: Lithograph (Mourlot studio)
Dimensions: 37.5 × 27 cm
Signature: Unsigned — dated on the plate: 1940
Publisher: Cercle d'Art, Paris, 1954
Printer: Mourlot studio, Paris
Condition: Excellent — text on reverse as published
Type: Authorised lithograph — Cercle d'Art / Mourlot edition

Description: 

Portrait of Dora Maar (1954) is a lithograph published by the Cercle d'Art, Paris — one of the most respected French art publishers of the postwar period — and printed by the Mourlot studio, the legendary Parisian printing house that worked directly with Picasso, Matisse, Braque, Chagall, and Léger on their most important lithographic projects and whose technical authority in colour lithography was unrivalled in twentieth-century France.

The image reproduces Picasso's 1940 portrait of Dora Maar — the Croatian-French photographer and surrealist artist who was his companion from 1936 to 1943, and one of the most significant recurring presences in his work of the late 1930s and early 1940s. Dora Maar was not merely a model but an intellectual and artistic equal — herself a practising photographer whose documentary images of the creation of Guernica are among the most important visual records of Picasso's process — and the portraits he made of her during their relationship are among the most psychologically penetrating and formally complex works of his career. The Cubist fragmentation he applied to her face in this portrait — the simultaneous presentation of multiple viewpoints, the emotional intensity compressed into a single image — carries the weight of the political moment of its creation: 1940, the year of the Nazi occupation of Paris, the year in which personal and political catastrophe converged.

The Mourlot studio — founded by Fernand Mourlot and responsible for printing the most important lithographic editions in French art history — gives this publication a technical authority that distinguishes it from purely commercial reproductions. Published in 1954, with text on the reverse as issued, in excellent condition.

Shipping & Delivery:
✔ Careful and secure worldwide shipping from France
✔ Professional packaging with insurance
✔ Tracking number included for secure delivery

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FAQ

Is this an original Picasso print?
This is an authorised lithograph published by the Cercle d'Art, Paris in 1954 and printed by the Mourlot studio — one of the most respected lithographic printers in French art history. It is unsigned and not a hand-signed original from Picasso's lifetime, but an officially published, Mourlot-printed lithograph of historical significance.

Who is Mourlot?
The Mourlot studio (Imprimerie Mourlot) is the most celebrated lithographic printing house in French art history — the studio that printed original lithographs for Picasso, Matisse, Braque, Chagall, Miró, and Léger. A Mourlot-printed publication carries significant technical and historical authority.

Who is Dora Maar?
Dora Maar (1907–1997) was a Croatian-French photographer, surrealist artist, and Picasso's companion from 1936 to 1943. Her documentary photographs of the creation of Guernica are among the most important records of Picasso's process, and the portraits Picasso made of her are among the most celebrated works of his late Cubist period.

What is the Cercle d'Art?
Cercle d'Art was one of the most respected French art publishers of the postwar period, known for high-quality authorised lithographic publications of major twentieth-century artists including Picasso.

What condition is the work in?
Excellent — with text on the reverse as published, consistent with the original 1954 publication format.

Do you ship internationally?
Yes — worldwide, with museum-grade flat packaging, full insurance, and shipment tracking.

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