PICASSO, Pablo ( illustrator ); TERIADE, Michel LEIRIS, and Rebecca WEST ( text ). [Suite de 180 dessins de Picasso] Verve. Vol. VIII, Nos 29 et 30.

PICASSO, Pablo ( illustrator ); TERIADE, Michel LEIRIS, and Rebecca WEST ( text ). [Suite de 180 dessins de Picasso] Verve. Vol. VIII, Nos 29 et 30.PICASSO, Pablo (illustrator); TERIADE, Michel LEIRIS, and Rebecca WEST (text). [Suite de 180 dessins de Picasso] Verve. Vol. VIII, Nos 29 et 30. Paris: Editions de la Revue. 1954. Folio. Original illustrated boards designed by Picasso depicting the profile of his lover Genevive Laporte with title lettering in purple; 16 full page original colour lithographs and 164 black and white reproduction heliogravures; encased in glassine wrapper; near fine.

PICASSO, Pablo (illustrator); TERIADE, Michel LEIRIS, and Rebecca WEST (text). [Suite de 180 dessins de Picasso] Verve. Vol. VIII, Nos 29 et 30. Paris: Editions de la Revue. 1954.

Folio. Original illustrated boards designed by Picasso depicting the profile of his lover Geneviève Laporte with title lettering in purple; 16 full-page original colour lithographs and 164 black and white reproduction heliogravures; encased in glassine wrapper; near fine.

First edition. Double number edition of the Verve art revue showcasing only the works of Pablo Picasso.

Verve, the modernist Parisian art magazine at the forefront of the radical creative aesthetic of its time, was first published in 1937 with famous cover artwork by Henri Matisse. Subsequently, it was responsible for showcasing the most distinguished characters of the Parisian art scene of the 20th century, including textual contributions by prominent transgressive authors such as James Joyce. This edition features accompanying words by Rebecca West and prolific Surrealist writer and anthropologist Michel Leiris.

Its founder Teriade (pseudonym of the Greek, Stratis Eleftheriades), made the statement, “Verve was born in December 1937. In times of agony, such things happen, when there are big crises, when we are really desperate and we do have nothing to lose, or rather, we are afraid that everything will be lost while waiting for disaster … Then at this precise moment everyone is able to act, even to act with passion".

The year of this publication, 1954, marked the death of Picasso's artistic rival but great friend Henri Matisse and his passing considerably affected Picasso, who in some way relied on their competition as a catalyst. With this new absence of living rivalry, Picasso was inspired to interact with the artists of the past more than ever, continuously holding conversation with historical masters through his own new, bold interpretations.

SKU: 2120818