Costume design for the ballet Le Tricorne

The Costume design for the ballet Le Tricorne by Pablo Picasso, created in 1920, captures a pivotal moment in the Spanish artist's intense engagement with theatrical production and classical forms. Le Tricorne (The Three-Cornered Hat) premiered successfully in 1919 and marked a crucial collaboration between Picasso, composer Manuel de Falla, and Serge Diaghilev’s renowned Ballets Russes. The ballet, based on a classic Spanish folk tale, provided Picasso with the opportunity to synthesize modern aesthetics with traditional Iberian culture.

This specific artwork is classified within the category of an Illustrated Book component, meticulously executed using the sophisticated printmaking techniques of collotype and pochoir. Collotype provided the foundation-level, detailed photographic reproduction of Picasso’s original drawings, while the subsequent application of pochoir, a high-quality hand-stenciling process, added the necessary vibrant color and definition. This print is drawn from a portfolio containing thirty-two collotypes, published in 1920, intended to document and disseminate the visual language of the theatrical production.

Picasso’s creative contributions to the ballet were central to its immediate success. During this period, the artist was exploring classical themes and volumetric representation, a style often termed his Neo-classical phase, contrasting sharply with his earlier Cubist experiments. The design reflects the vitality of the subject matter and showcases the artist's ability to translate complex theatrical vision into reproducible graphic prints. The sophisticated use of color and line work within the collotype medium demonstrates Picasso's mastery over reproduction processes. This significant piece of early twentieth-century printmaking and performance history is held in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art.