About this artwork
Picasso’s illustrations for Honoré de Balzac’s short story The Unknown Masterpiece included engravings, line drawings, and etchings. Balzac’s tale of a misunderstood artist who works in secret on an “unknown masterpiece,” appealed to Picasso. He made unusual line and dot drawings, which he later heightened with crayon, dedicating it to the book’s first owner, art dealer Henri Matarasso (1892–1985).
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Status
- Currently Off View
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Department
- Prints and Drawings
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Artist
- Pablo Picasso
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Title
- Le Chef-d'oeuvre inconnu (The Unknown Masterpiece)
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Place
- Spain (Artist's nationality:)
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Date
- 1931
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Medium
- Book with 12 etchings hors-texte, 67 wood engravings, and crayon, with black morocco binding
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Dimensions
- 32.5 × 25.3 cm (12 13/16 × 10 in.)
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Credit Line
- Bequest of Maxine Kunstadter
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Reference Number
- 1978.645
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Copyright
- © 2018 Estate of Pablo Picasso / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Extended information about this artwork
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