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PABLO PICASSO, Untitled, circa 1953

Untitled, circa 1953

Gelatin silver print. 5 x 3 in. (12.7 x 7.6 cm). Signed in ink on the recto.

PROVENANCE Swann Galleries, New York, 18 May 2006, lot 174
As one of the most prolific and important artists of the 20th century, Pablo Picasso continuously excelled in challenging norms, reconfiguring conventions, and introducing revolutionary ideas. From clay to bronze, from paintings to collages, and from etchings to photographs, Picasso was tireless in his insistence to not merely push boundaries but to eradicate them altogether, blurring the lines between one medium and the next, calling into question the rigidity of categories and the flexibility of parameters.  Picasso's initial delving into the field of photography began as early as 1901 and lasted through 1916. However, it was not until after the Second World War that the artist, by then already renowned for his work, revisited the medium, albeit with a greater degree of experimentation. The way he had painted on newspaper ads and adhered cut-outs on canvas, Picasso began cutting, puncturing, slicing, carving, painting and, as we see in the present lot, engraving celluloid negatives before printing them. By working the negatives the way he would a block of wood, copper plate or a sheet of paper, Picasso created a new category for the field of photography to permeate, encouraging future generations of artists to challenge and expand on the field

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