Picasso's Toros

The bull is a recurring motif throughout Pablo Picasso’s (1881-1973) painting and graphic work. Picasso’s Toros presents eleven states from a series of lithographs executed by the artist between December 1945 and January 1946 taking the toro, or bull, as his subject. Approximately 15 works on paper will be on display in this intimate exhibition that documents the artist’s long-lived fascination with the subject and imagery of the toro.

In the winter of 1945, Picasso embarked on an unprecedented exploration of the artistic medium of lithography and its capacity for artistic expression. Among the notable lithographs created at this time, a series of bull prints dominated the artist’s attention. Picasso plumbed the serial possibilities of the lithographic medium, which allows for progressive “enhancements” of an image through a succession of additions, deletions, and modifications.

Picasso’s Toros  presents this series which illustrates the fascinating manner in which the artist simplified and reduced the figure of the bull to the point of abstraction. Additional prints by Picasso documenting the strong appeal of this image and its symbolism are also included. Picasso’s Toros  represents a fascinating pictorial record of the artist’s creative process in which his spirit of adventure and experiment is combined with one of his favorite motifs.