Pablo Picasso’s Nature Morte au Verre sous la Lampe (Still Life with Glass under the Lamp), 1962, a linocut printed in yellow, red, green, and black on Arches paper. Signed in pencil by the artist at the lower right, it also carries a customs stamp on the verso, underscoring its authenticated provenance.

The composition depicts a boldly lit still life, dominated by the dramatic presence of a hanging lamp that casts an intense circular glow onto the table beneath. At the center, a cluster of fruit and a stylized glass are illuminated by the light, their forms exaggerated in vibrant red, yellow, and green. The surrounding black field heightens the effect of the radiating energy, creating a dynamic interplay between shadow and illumination.

The work is structured almost like a stage set: the lightbulb becomes a symbolic sun, radiating vitality onto the objects below, while the arcs and curves of red and green in the background evoke movement and rhythm, transforming the still life into a pulsating, theatrical scene.

Executed in linocut, this print highlights Picasso’s radical mastery of the medium. By the early 1960s, Picasso had pushed linocut far beyond its traditional role as a simple printmaking technique, turning it into a means of achieving painterly depth and brilliance.

Here, the layering of four bold colors—yellow, red, green, and black—produces a striking chromatic intensity. Rather than using subtle tonal gradations, Picasso exploits the medium’s capacity for flat, vibrant areas of color, amplifying contrast and dynamism. The sharp carving of forms, combined with overlapping textures, results in a print that feels both graphic and monumental.

In Nature Morte au Verre sous la Lampe, Picasso reinvents the still life yet again by introducing light itself as a central subject. The hanging lamp not only illuminates the scene but becomes a symbolic force, infusing everyday objects—a simple glass and fruit—with a heightened sense of drama and vitality.

The work reflects Picasso’s lifelong ability to elevate the ordinary into the extraordinary. Where traditional still lifes emphasize quiet observation, Picasso introduces a sense of energy, theatricality, and almost ritualistic intensity. The radiating lamp suggests creation and transformation, making the still life a metaphor for artistic inspiration itself.

Nature Morte au Verre sous la Lampe (1962) is a linocut by Pablo Picasso, printed in yellow, red, green, and black on Arches paper. Signed in pencil lower right, with customs stamp verso, the work depicts a stylized still life of a glass and fruit illuminated by a hanging lamp. A striking example of Picasso’s technical innovation with linocut, the print dramatizes the everyday through bold contrasts, radiant light, and vivid color, transforming a simple domestic scene into a symbol of energy and artistic invention.