Costume design for the ballet Le Tricorne

Costume design for the ballet Le Tricorne by Pablo Picasso is a key artistic product stemming from the Spanish artist's influential collaboration with the Ballets Russes in the years immediately following World War I. Created in 1920, this design reflects Picasso's deep engagement with theatrical production and illustrates his complex stylistic evolution, merging elements of his preceding Cubist period with a burgeoning Neoclassical naturalism. The design was produced as part of a published portfolio, classifying the collection as an Illustrated Book. The ballet itself, Le Tricorne (The Three-Cornered Hat), centered on Spanish folk themes and utilized choreography by Léonide Massine and music by Manuel de Falla, firmly grounding the visual component in Picasso’s native culture.

The medium employed is collotype and pochoir, a high-quality reproductive technique often used for creating detailed, saturated prints. The work originated from a limited portfolio of thirty-two collotypes, thirty-one of which were enhanced by the use of pochoir, a sophisticated hand-stenciling process. This meticulous method was necessary to accurately render the vibrant colors and robust compositional lines of Picasso’s original tempera or watercolor sketches. By utilizing these refined print techniques, the portfolio successfully captured the dynamism of the costume design, distributing the artist’s vision beyond the original stage production.

This specific 1920 piece holds particular significance as it documents the integration of modern art aesthetics into performance history. Picasso's approach to costume and set design prioritized conceptual coherence, moving beyond merely decorative elements. The work highlights the artist’s commitment to figurative representation and mythological themes during the post-war period. Picasso’s powerful yet restrained graphic sensibility in this Illustrated Book format reinforces his standing not only as a painter and sculptor but also as a master of graphic arts. This essential piece of theatrical and visual history, demonstrating the intersection of Spanish cultural heritage and the burgeoning modernist movement, is preserved in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA).