The Spartans–Athenians Pact
Work from a series of illustrations for the comedy Lysistrata, 1934. The illustrative cycle comprises six original etchings in total. Published by The Limited Editions Club (New York: The Limited Editions Club). Printed on Rives Wove paper. Published in the catalog raisonné by Kramer, 24; Skira, 294. Framed size: 53.5 x 61.5 cm.
Lysistrata is a comedy by the ancient Greek playwright Aristophanes, created around 411 BCE, about a woman who managed to stop the war between Sparta and Athens with a clever device — a female “sex strike.” In 1934 Picasso continued to work with Greek subjects, inspired by images of classical antiquity. At the request of the American Bibliophiles Society, the artist created a series of etchings based on Lysistrata. Picasso, who at that time was increasingly interested in the political situation in the world, could not help but be inspired by the story of the anti-war rebellion of the Ancient Athenians. Despite the war theme, the works in this cycle are filled with the serenity and harmony that prevailed in his romantic relationship with the young Marie-Thérèse Walter.
Pablo Picasso is one of the towering figures of the 20th century, the founder of Cubism, and a force who ruthlessly rewired the language of modern art. His work fused the academic tradition, Spanish cultural memory, European avant-garde, African and Iberian sculpture, Neoclassicism, surreal imagery, and a relentless, unapologetic experiment with form. Picasso’s artistic journey cannot be boiled down to a single style: he constantly reworked his own language, turning painting, graphics, sculpture, collage, and ceramics into a playground for artistic exploration.
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