Descripción
The drawing reproduced on the poster, “The Face of Peace,” is number IX in a series of XXIX pencil drawings by Picasso. This drawing was later reproduced in the book “Le Visage de la Paix” by Paul Eluard, published in 1951 by Editions Cercle d’Art. The dove gradually transforms into an aggressive bird in open contradiction to the olive branch it holds. The dove is part of Françoise Gilot’s face, and becomes an integral part of the face to the point that both become unified.
Paul Eluard visited Picasso in 1950 to show him a book of short poems in which these drawings would later be included, one on each page. This is the last book on which Picasso and Eluard collaborated. Shortly before its publication, on 14 June 1951, Picasso and Françoise attended the wedding of Eluard and Dominique Laure, which took place in Saint Tropez. Of Eluard’s new wife, Picasso said: “If Paul thinks that I am going to honour him again by sleeping with his wife, […] this time he is mistaken… […] She is fine alone, but the combination, no. She is not the wife that Paul should have.” But in fact, sadly, Eluard died just over two years later, in November 1953.
