In the Arena. Young Man Kills the Minotaur (Dans l'arène. Jeune homme achevant le minotaure)
1933
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
etching [printed in 1939 by Roger Lacouriere]
Classification
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1950.16.185
Art Historical Context
In the Arena. Young Man Kills the Minot (Dans l'arène. Jeune hommevant le minotaure is a striking 1933 etching by Pablo Picasso, part of his prolific Vollard Suite of prints exploring classical myths and personal obsessions. Created during Picasso's neoclassical period, when he drew heavily from ancient Greek and Roman themes, this work reimagines the heroic myth of Theseus slaying theotaur—a half-man, half-bull monster—in a modern bullfighting arena. This fusion reflects Picasso's lifelong fascination with Spanish bullfighting, symbolizing life's primal struggles, and foreshadows his later Mi...
About the Artist
Pablo Picasso
Pablo Picasso (1881–1973), born Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso in Málaga, Spain, was the son of José Ruiz Blasco, a painter and art professor who served as his first teacher. From age seven, Picasso trained under his father in figure drawing and oil painting, mastering naturalistic techniques by copying mas...