Costume design for the ballet Le Tricorne

Costume design for the ballet Le Tricorne by Pablo Picasso is a seminal piece of theatrical design created in 1920. This work originated not as a standalone drawing, but as a component of an Illustrated Book portfolio containing thirty-two collotypes, thirty-one of which were meticulously enhanced with hand-stenciled coloring, known as pochoir. The design reflects Picasso’s crucial and often underappreciated involvement with Sergei Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes, where the Spanish artist served as set and costume designer for several key productions following the end of World War I.

The technique employed in this piece highlights the sharp precision of the collotype process, which enables detailed, photographic reproduction of the original drawing’s tones, dramatically enhanced by the vibrant color application added via pochoir. This labor-intensive combination allowed for the faithful reproduction of the original artwork while preserving the visual vitality of Picasso’s preliminary designs. The work relates directly to the plot of Le Tricorne, a ballet based on Pedro Antonio de Alarcón's classic Spanish novella, El Sombrero de Tres Picos (The Three-Cornered Hat). Picasso successfully channeled the rich folk traditions and bright aesthetic of his home country into the character’s clothing, merging the geometric discipline of Cubism with the classical draftsmanship prevalent in his work during the 1920 period.

Produced in 1920, the complete portfolio documenting the visual elements of the performance was crucial in disseminating these influential designs beyond the immediate stage production. The resulting fine art prints serve as a vital record of this period of intense artistic collaboration among modern composers, choreographers, and visual artists. This specific piece, classified primarily within the illustrated book genre, is a key component of the art historical narrative surrounding early 20th-century performance design. As a significant example of the artist’s work in applied arts, the design is held in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art, affirming its importance in the history of modern art.