Description

The book was published by Ponts des Arts and Pierre-Andre Weill. With Picasso’s permission, Weill also used the etching for the poster advertising the book at the Galerie Weill, which he owned together with Lucie Weill. The book contains 11 facsimiles, signed by Picasso, of his work “The Joy of Life”.

This lithograph was used as the subject of a poster for the exhibition on the book “Faunes et Flore d’Antibes” held at the Galerie Weill from 12 January to 10 February 1960.

In the image reproduced on this poster, Picasso shows his sense of humour. We see the smiling, mischievous face of the faun who seems to have been drinking, surrounded by flowers and joy. Flowers symbolising the beautiful vegetation of Antibes, which the artist used to illustrate the cover of the work published about the city.

With a simple and playful drawing made with coloured lithographic pencils, the Master created this charming poster as if he were playing. He completed the painting with a written text, the calligraphy of which forms part of the decoration of the work.

It brings together the essential virtues of a good poster: an easy, simple work capable of penetrating the viewer psychologically without him realising it.

It is a child’s drawing by adults and for adults in which the shapes of both the character and the flora play with the colours.