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Saltimbanques

Printer Louis Fort French
Publisher Ambroise Vollard French
1905, printed 1913
Not on view
The theme of the saltimbanque, or itinerant circus performer, dominated Picasso's work from late 1904 to 1906. This drypoint of a young acrobat balancing on a ball while other members of his troupe carry out mundane tasks anticipates two major canvases of 1905, Young Acrobat on a Ball (The Pushin State Museum of Fine Arts, Moscow) and Family of Saltimbanques (National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.).

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Saltimbanques
  • Artist: Pablo Picasso (Spanish, Malaga 1881–1973 Mougins, France)
  • Printer: Louis Fort (French, 19th–20th century)
  • Publisher: Ambroise Vollard (French, 1866–1939)
  • Date: 1905, printed 1913
  • Medium: Drypoint
  • Dimensions: plate: 11 5/16 x 12 15/16 in. (28.7 x 32.9 cm)
    sheet: 14 15/16 x 21 3/16 in. (37.9 x 53.8 cm)
  • Classification: Prints
  • Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1922
  • Object Number: 22.112.7
  • Rights and Reproduction: © 2025 Estate of Pablo Picasso / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
  • Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

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