Pablo PICASSO (1881-1973) - Complete series of 29 Imaginary portraits lithographs

Pablo PICASSO (1881-1973)
"Portraits imaginaires" (Imaginary portraits) - Complete series.
Portfolio of 29 lithographs after Pablo PICASSO's paintings
presented in their original box.
each on vellum Arches paper
Signed in the plates
Numbered / 250 prints (each bearing the same number)
Without the titled page, but with the rare lithograph justificative.
Each lithograph is authenticated by the embossed stamp of the Editor (Editions Cercle d'Art)
65 x 50 cm

Extremely rare complete set of lithographs !
Excellent condition, the lithographs have never been framed, and keep as a consequence their full original colours intensity.

INFORMATION:
The 1969 twenty nine "portraits imaginaires" of Picasso, in lithographs byr Marcel Salinas are exceptional and rare.
In 1969, when there were important exhibitions in Avignon, Picasso was badly seen by the press. Exhausted, he started confining himself. He stayed at home and spent his time working on his painting, which was fully autobiographic. He gathered packaging cartons he found on the street, and on January 30th 1969, he started painting a series of portraits. He started from a model, and continuously transformed it…
Three months later, on May 7th to be precise, he signed his 29th work of the series, which he called
"Portraits imaginaires" (Imaginary portraits). In them can be found the colours of the South. They are mainly masculine portraits.
Every time Picasso was painting a man, he was painting his father.

Later, Charles Feld, the founder of the editions Le Cercle d'Art went to an exhibition at the Galerie du Dragon in Paris. He saw the 29 portraits. Charles Feld knew well Picasso. In 1950, Picasso told him « Why don't you create an Edition compagny ? You will do books about me. And also about other painters…"
For more than half a century, the editions Le Cercle d'Art publishes books about artistic creation, and dedicated 30 books to the works of Picasso.
When Charles Feld saw these portraits, which he found extraordinary, he asked Picasso the authorization to do an edition. For the first time of his life, the artist allowed the reproduction of a series of original works. The "portraits imaginaies" were edited in 250 copies, in the shape of a portfolio, by a lithographic artist, Marcel Salinas, monitored by Picasso himself.

The complete series with identical number is highly rare.
Most of the portfolio have been scattered to private or institutional collectors.

This was the last important series of lithographs created by Picasso.