Le Ballet – Danseusse

Pablo Picasso – Le Ballet (Boris Kochno), Paris, Arts du Monde / Hachette, 1954 A desirable illustrated art book featuring one of Picasso’s sought-after original book lithographs: the celebrated Danseuse frontispiece. While the publication itself is historically important, collectors widely recognize that the principal value of this edition lies in the presence and condition of the original lithograph. Created in 1954 and printed by the renowned Atelier Mourlot, Danseuse is a vibrant multi-color transfer lithograph that captures Picasso’s late graphic style with remarkable elegance and spontaneity. Executed in fluid lines of blue, violet, yellow and green, the composition transforms the dancer into a lyrical, almost weightless figure—an excellent example of Picasso’s ability to express movement through minimal means. This edition was published for the text by Boris Kochno, noted writer and former secretary to Serge Diaghilev of the Ballets Russes, making the connection between Picasso and the world of modern ballet especially meaningful. Key details: Title: Le Ballet Author: Boris Kochno Publisher: Arts du Monde / Hachette, Paris Year: 1954 Original lithograph: Danseuse Printer: Mourlot, Paris Approx. book size: 31.7 x 22.4 cm Reference literature: Cramer 68; Mourlot 259; Bloch 767 Condition: Very good overall example with original illustrated binding. The lithograph remains the centerpiece of the volume and determines desirability among collectors. A refined and increasingly appreciated Picasso illustrated book, ideal for collectors seeking an authentic original Picasso lithograph at an accessible entry point into the artist’s graphic oeuvre.