Costume design for the ballet Le Tricorne

Costume design for the ballet Le Tricorne by Pablo Picasso is a foundational example of the artist's engagement with theatrical production in the post-World War I era. Created in 1920, this design stems directly from Picasso's highly successful collaboration with the Ballets Russes on Le Tricorne, which had premiered the previous year with choreography by Léonide Massine and music by Manuel de Falla. While Picasso is widely known for his Spanish heritage and revolutionary Cubist innovations, this specific piece reflects his temporary shift toward neoclassical figuration and bold, graphic expression necessary for the demands of stage spectacle. Classified formally as an Illustrated Book component, the design captures the vitality and color inherent in the Spanish folk tradition that inspired the ballet’s narrative and score.

The work employs collotype and pochoir, a technique combining a high-fidelity photographic reproduction base (collotype) with hand-applied color achieved through stencils (pochoir). This labor-intensive method was popular in the 1920s for creating limited-edition prints that maintained the vibrant intensity of original watercolor or gouache sketches. This particular design originates from a portfolio of thirty-two collotypes, thirty-one of which utilized the pochoir coloring process. The graphic precision inherent in the printmaking medium allows for sharp outlines and solid blocks of pigment, ensuring the visual impact of the costume would translate effectively onto the stage.

Picasso’s involvement with the Ballets Russes established him as a key figure in modern stage design, complementing his innovations in painting and sculpture. This work, produced in 1920, stands as a crucial artifact reflecting the confluence of high art and performance during the early modernist period. The enduring quality of these early prints ensures the survival and appreciation of the original theatrical concepts long after the curtain fell on the original productions. Today, this significant piece of Spanish modernism is held in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art.