Pablo Picasso (1881-1973), Le Vase de Fleurs 1963 from the series Tauromachia - Linocut 1963.

Original linocut, satin paper, plate imprint mark visible, 27 x 23 cm,
made and approved by Picasso for "Picasso Linogravures", issued in an
edition of 50 pieces. Making of linocut plates : Picasso in collaboration with the
Galerie Louise Leiris; rebound by Hilgardo Arnera in Vallauris. Publisher : Edition
Cercle D'Art Paris.
References :
Ref: Bloch 909
"Tauromachia" (Bullfighting) is one of the key themes in the work of
Pablo Picasso, and its exploration in the linocut (linocut) technique in the 1960s.
century, and especially in 1963, is particularly significant. Picasso's linocuts from this
period, often with a corrida theme, are among the most dynamic and
innovative prints in his oeuvre. Linocut enabled the artist to use
bold, flat patches of color and strong contrasts that emphasize the
intensity of the events in the arena.
Picasso revolutionized the linocut technique, developing the "reduction" method
(also known as the single-block technique). It involves the use of only one
block of linoleum, which is gradually cut out and printed in successive
colors. This resulted in rich colors and textures, and most importantly, once the
work was completed, no more prints could be made, which increased the
uniqueness of the edition.
Although Picasso's famous aquatint series entitled. "La Tauromaquia" was created in 1959
(constituting illustrations for a manual of the corrida), the subject of bullfighting was for the
artist a constant obsession and he also returned to it in linocuts, including one in 1963.
The bullfighting scenes are full of movement, energy and drama. Picasso reduces
the figures into essentialized, synthetic forms, often resembling
silhouettes or brushstrokes, which gives the scenes an almost archetypal
character. In Picasso's work, the bull is a powerful symbol of nature, strength and destruction (often
also symbolizing the Minotaur), while the bullfighter personifies art, control and
risk. The very motif of bullfighting is for Picasso a metaphor for life, death,
passion and creativity.