Sculpteurs, modèles et sculpture (Suite Vollard), 1933-39

Agnès Lefort, Montreal Private Collection, Toronto

Pablo Picasso executed the majority of the famous Vollard Suite, one of his most well-known suites, while living in Paris with his wife, Olga. Picasso created 64 of the 100 Vollard Suite etching plates in 1933, generating the etching plate to be used for the printing of this particular work, “Sculpteurs, modèles et sculpture”, on March 20, 1933. Unfortunately, during this period in Paris, Picasso’s relationship with his wife was weakening. However, the artist was pursuing a blossoming relationship with Marie-Thérèse Walter. Marie-Thérèse, with her curves and oval face, became a muse for the artist and many plaster sculptures were modeled after her image. Between March 14th and June 18th, 1933, Picasso created 57 of these Vollard Suite etchings, of which 40 were based upon the design of a sculptor’s studio. “Sculpteurs, modèles et sculpture”, encapsulating this theme, is the only work within the suite that depicts two models, two sculptors and a sculpture. Furthermore, many scholars believe that the figure peeking through the curtains of the window in the background is modeled after the sculptures Picasso crafted of his muse, Marie-Thérèse. The Vollard Suite was executed in his entirety between 1930 and 1936 and is categorized by five general themes – The Battle of Love, The Sculptor’s Studio, Rembrandt, The Minotaur and The Blind Minotaur and Portraits of Vollard. The suite was named after Picasso’s art dealer and publisher, Ambroise Vollard. Vollard was responsible for Picasso’s first one-man exhibition in Paris in 1901 and was known for supporting avant-garde artists, such as Degas, Rodin, Gauguin and Van Gogh. In 1939, Vollard commissioned Roger Lacourière to print the etching plates of Picasso’s Vollard Suite. 313 etchings were printed from each plate. 260 of those etchings were printed on Montval paper and watermarked either “Picasso” or “Vollard”. Out of the remaining 53 etchings, 50 copies were printed on a slightly larger sheet of Montval paper (2 inches larger in height and width) and watermarked “Papeterie Montgolfier à Montval”, while 3 signed etchings were printed on parchment paper.