David and Bathsheba

Pablo Picasso|Galerie Louise Leiris|Fernand Mourlot

1947 · Lithograph; fourth state of ten · Drawings and Prints

Picasso appropriated Cranach's composition (1526, Staatliche Museen, Berlin) to retell the biblical story of King David's desire for Bathsheba, the wife of his military captain. He worked the lithograph in ten states between 1947 and 1949; this impression is from the fourth state. Proceeding from dark to light, Picasso drew the image by scraping out lines (which appear white when printed) on a zinc plate covered with black ink.

Artist

Pablo Picasso|Galerie Louise Leiris|Fernand Mourlot

Date

1947

Medium

Lithograph; fourth state of ten

Department

Drawings and Prints

Credit line

Bequest of William S. Lieberman, 2005