Pablo Picasso aquatint prints valued at $60,000

A rare series of aquatint prints by Pablo Picasso will auction next month.

The project was instigated in the 1950s by Gustavo Gili Esteve, then head of family publishing firm Editorial Gustavo Gili.

Picasso bullfighting series

The series is based on works by Francisco Goya 

Esteve asked Picasso whether he would be prepared to collaborate on a printmaking project based on a series of bullfighting scenes by Francisco Goya.

Picasso agreed. The result was La Tauromaquia (1959), a series of 26 copper prints that share the title of Goya’s original work.

Christie’s is offering one of the 30 deluxe editions of the project in its September 19 Prints and Multiples sale.

It’s valued at $40,000-60,000.

Editorial Gustavo Gili retains a solid reputation to this day for the quality of its output.

“Both my grandfather and my father wanted to publish the highest-quality livres d’artistes,” explains Gustavo Gili Galfetti, grandson of Gili Esteve.  

“Initially, they sought out Picasso and Miró because they wanted to work with established artists. At the same time, they were always looking to take a bit of a risk...

“In the end, they moved away from these kinds of books because it was a huge effort.

“They were expensive and didn’t always correspond to the local market. So these editions actually represent something relatively rare.”

We have this phenomenal Picasso signature for sale.

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