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Picasso's Bull
Fourth, Fifth, Seventh and Eighth State etc.

Item date(s): n.d.

Walter Whall Battiss  (1906-1982) - (drawings by)
Pablo Picasso  - (featured artist)


Pages: 2pp
Size: 150mm & 195mm
Technique: Pencil on paper


Place publication: (Pretoria RSA)
Publisher: The author

Additional notes:
Pablo Picasso created “Bull” in 1945, a series of eleven lithographs, which has become a masterclass on how to develop an image from realism to abstraction.

There are four copies of the "Bull"; the Fourth and Fifth State on one sheet and the Seventh and Eighth State on another. The other states have not been found in the Estate Archive.

The paper is not in good condition.

Inscribe verso: From the "famous series" of 11 states. This one (Tenth State) was given to me personally by Picasso in his Paris studio in 1949 W Battiss.

Also notes and valuations and a sketch of the ninth state in Battiss's writing.

See auction catalogue entry.

Additional material: Animals in Art - Pablo Picasso: Pablo Picasso created "Bull" in 1945, a series of eleven lithographs, which has become a masterclass on how to develop an image from realism to abstraction.

Reference note:
See also:

CMD 1889. "Bull" Tenth State.

CMD 2196. Picasso Gives Walter Battiss a Lithograph.

CMD 2019. Photograph of Walter Battiss holding Picasso's "Bull X"

CMD 1889: Inscribed to Walter Battiss from Picasso: Pour Walter Battiss en Souvenir du Picasso Paris 3 June 1949.

Exhibition notes:
A single damaged, cursive note in pencil by Battiss

Together with two pages torn from a German art monograph illustrating the 5th, 8th and 11th state of the Bull series and Le Taureau mentioned below. Also a photograph of these pages which show a pencil sketch of the Ninth state by Battiss (now missing) and a note on brown paper:

1 July 68. Dr Fel? Bosman values this at at least R1000. WB. The Pretoria Art Museum insured it for R2000.

"In the autumn of [1945] Picasso suddenly turned to lithography. . . . . most wondrous feats of . . . . virtuosity stems from the period LE TAUREAU [printed] in 1945-46 in an edition of eleven proofs, each different from the others. The best and most expensive lithographs from this phase of Picasso's printmaking career now sell for roughly $10,000 to $25,000 but some very good examples are available for prices between $2000 and $5000."

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From page 129 of "How to make money in the art market" by Richard Blodgett (Pub: Peter H. Wyden, New York) 1975.

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Piccadilly Gallery owner, Godfrey Pilkington, at Basle Fair (1975?) sent me to a friend with a poor print of my "bull" who valued mine at not less than GBP2000 or R4000. [at that time]

[Wikipedia: Godfrey Pilkington (8 November 1918 – 8 July 2007) was a British art dealer, director and co-founder of the Piccadilly Gallery.]

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A photograph of

Ref: GB/30271







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