Descripción
Neither this poster nor its motif have been reproduced on other posters. This poster was designed by Picasso in memory of his close friend Manolo Huguet, at the request of the Musée d’Art de Céret, for an exhibition organised by the Museum as a testimonial.
Picasso and the Catalan sculptor and poet Manolo Huguet (known as ‘Manolo’) had been great friends since their youth. Artists with very different personalities. Manolo was, however, an ideal companion for Picasso. They got on very well despite the age difference. Manolo was born in 1872, making him nine years older than Picasso.
After Manolo moved to Céret, Picasso and other artist friends such as Georges Braque, Juan Gris and Max Jacob spent several summers with him. Thus, from 1911 onwards, Céret became the “Mecca of Cubism”, as Palau i Fabre called it. Picasso is said to have said: “With your intelligence you will end up working in Cubism.” To which Manolo replied: “And you will end up exhausting my patience.”
In Céret, Huguet, a self-taught artist, created, among other famous works, the “Monument to the Musician.”
The portrait of Manolo reproduced on this poster, in a classical style, was drawn by Picasso in the style of Ingres. His style reminds us of the portraits that the master made of Satie, Diaghilev and other members of the ballet ‘Parade’ in Italy. This was not the only portrait that Picasso made of his friend. On the contrary, during his first years in Paris Pablo made various portraits in all poses, full body or just head […], portraits in which Picasso captured with his usual acuity […], the picturesque personality of his friend.
