Peintre au travail observé par un modèle nu (Painter at Work Observed by a Nude Model)
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
etching
Dimensions
book: 33.4 × 26.2 × 4 cm (13 1/8 × 10 5/16 × 1 9/16 in.) case: 34.2 × 26.8 × 5.4 cm (13 7/16 × 10 9/16 × 2 1/8 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Purchased as an Anonymous Gift
Accession Number
2013.169.7.8
Art Historical Context
In 1931, Pablo Picasso created a suite of etchings to illustrate Honoré de Balzac's *Le Chef-d'œuvre* (The Unknown Masterpiece), a tale of a painter's obsessive quest for perfection. This etching, *Peintre au travail observé par un modèle nu (Painter at Work Observed by a Nude Model), captures that dramatic tension: a focused artist at his easel, intently observed by a nude female model. Picasso's line work, precise yet fluid, exemplifies his mastery of etching—a printmaking technique where acid bites into a metal plate to create rich, tonal depths. Rendered during Picasso's prolific period b...