Pablo Picasso’s Les Demoiselles d’Avignon, 1953, a lithograph on Arches paper, signed and dated in pencil by the artist and dedicated to master printer Fernand Mourlot. This edition pays homage to Picasso’s revolutionary 1907 painting of the same name, a work that redefined the trajectory of modern art and is regarded as one of the foundational moments of Cubism.

The composition depicts five nude female figures, arranged in a compressed, angular space. Their bodies are fractured into sharp geometric planes, with faces influenced by both Iberian sculpture and African masks. Three of the women confront the viewer directly, their piercing gazes challenging traditional ideals of beauty and representation, while the other two are rendered with dramatically abstracted features.

Picasso reduces form to its essentials—triangular limbs, jagged contours, and flattened perspectives. The background, composed of angular shards of blue and brown, integrates with the figures, dissolving the boundary between body and space. The result is both jarring and monumental, a radical break from the illusionistic traditions of Western painting.

This lithograph, produced at the Mourlot Studio in 1953, demonstrates Picasso’s commitment to reinterpreting his earlier innovations through printmaking. Working with Fernand Mourlot, he translated the monumental 1907 painting into lithographic form, retaining the intensity of line and angularity of shape while adapting color to the graphic qualities of the medium.

The use of Arches paper allowed for a smooth, vibrant impression of the colors, while Picasso’s pencil dedication adds a personal layer of history to this impression, linking it directly to his collaboration with Mourlot.

Les Demoiselles d’Avignon is widely recognized as a turning point in 20th-century art. By rejecting Renaissance perspective and naturalistic anatomy, Picasso introduced a radically new visual language that led directly to the development of Cubism. The use of mask-like faces reflects his engagement with non-Western art, particularly African sculpture, which Picasso admired for its symbolic power and formal abstraction.

The lithograph not only reproduces the image of the original painting but also underscores its enduring relevance nearly half a century later. By dedicating this print to Fernand Mourlot, Picasso acknowledges the role of printmaking in extending the legacy of his most groundbreaking works.

Les Demoiselles d’Avignon (1953) is a lithograph on Arches paper by Pablo Picasso, signed and dated in pencil and dedicated to printer Fernand Mourlot. The work depicts five nude women, their bodies fractured into angular planes and their faces influenced by Iberian and African art. Considered one of the most important works of the 20th century, Les Demoiselles d’Avignon marked the birth of Cubism and a radical departure from traditional representation. This lithographic edition, produced at Mourlot’s studio, reaffirms the work’s revolutionary status and Picasso’s enduring commitment to exploring new forms of artistic expression.