Pablo Picasso (Spanish, 1881-1973) - Le Repas Frugal, from La Suite des Saltimbanques

1904, printed 1913, from the edition of 250 (there were also 27 or 29 impressions on Japon paper), with margins, Louis Fort, Paris, printer, Ambroise Vollard, Paris, publisher. Etching with drypoint on Van Gelder paper.
image: 18 ¼ x 14 ¾ in. (46.4 x 37.5cm)
sheet: 24 ¾ x 19 ¾ (62.9 x 50.2cm)
[Bloch, 1; Baer, 2]

Lot Essay

Le Repas Frugal (The Frugal Repast) is a portrait of poverty and isolation created during Picasso’s Blue Period. Executed in 1904, this early foray into printmaking demonstrates his emerging mastery of line and form, while etching a deeply human experience underscored by melancholic realism.

The composition centers on a gaunt couple partaking in a meager meal. The man, blind with a profile view, leans on the woman whose gaze meets the viewers. Their attenuated limbs and emaciated features, achieved through Picasso's characteristic use of distorted figures, emphasize their hardship. The sparse table setting - a single plate, two glasses, an empty wine bottle, and a few pieces of bread - reinforces the theme of frugality.

It has been suggested that Le Repas Frugal reflects Picasso's own experience in Barcelona and Paris during this period. Living in poverty amongst struggling artists and social outcasts, Picasso channeled his empathy for the marginalized into his work. His Blue Period, characterized by a somber palette of blues and greens, evokes a sense of detachment and emotional distance—here, accentuated by the emptiness that envelopes the couple.

The etching technique also contributes to the work’s mood. Picasso’s use of drypoint, a process resulting in a rougher line than traditional etching, adds a textured quality that amplifies the rawness of the scene. Subtle hints of a previous landscape incised into the zinc plate - a testament to Picasso's resourcefulness - imparts a layer of history and impermanence, mirroring the couple's humble circumstances.

Le Repas Frugal, one of Picasso’s most significant graphic works, offers technical skill and emotional depth in equal measure. It is a pivotal example, not simply for its exploration of social themes during the artist’s Blue Period, but for showcasing his nascent printmaking prowess—a medium he would revisit, refine, and take to expressive new heights throughout his career.