Original Lithographic Poster By Picasso, On Arch Paper "Galerie 65 Cannes" - 1956 - Mourlot

This is an original six-colour lithographic poster created by Pablo Picasso in 1956 for an exhibition at the Galerie 65 on the Croisette in Cannes, printed by Mourlot Frères on Arches paper — the most prestigious archival stock in the atelier's repertoire, reserved for the finest impressions of the most significant works. The standard edition of this poster was printed on ordinary stock; this Arches variant is the rarer, more refined impression, intended from the outset as a collector's object rather than a street announcement. The image — an owl, a flower, and a glass, drawn with the graphic directness and Mediterranean warmth of Picasso at the height of his Vallauris period — is among the most joyful and personally charged of his poster compositions.

Pablo Picasso (1881–1973) had settled on the French Riviera in the early 1950s, working primarily in ceramics at Vallauris and painting with an energy and prolificacy that astonished even those who knew his capacity for work. Cannes, just kilometres from Vallauris and Antibes, was his world: the Côte d'Azur light, the Mediterranean palette, the informal creative life of the South. The Galerie 65 on the Croisette was one of the Riviera's most prestigious exhibition spaces — and an exhibition of Picasso's work there in 1956 was an event at the intersection of the art world and the glamour of the Cannes that was simultaneously hosting its Film Festival and becoming one of the most famous addresses in the world.

The poster is signed by Picasso directly in the lithographic stone — not as a numbered edition but as a mark of authorship: every impression carries his signature, printed as part of the image itself. Catalogued as Czwiklitzer n°21, Bloch 1272, and Rodrigo n°49, this is one of the most thoroughly documented posters in Picasso's graphic oeuvre. The Arches paper variant adds a further layer of distinction: the weight and texture of the stock give the six colours a depth and luminosity that the standard edition cannot match.

The poster is in overall good condition — grade A- — with some slight imperfections along the edges. See pictures for full condition details.

A rare and radiant piece — Picasso on the Croisette, on Arches paper, in the year Cannes became the centre of the world.