Costume design for the ballet Le Tricorne

Costume design for the ballet Le Tricorne by Pablo Picasso, created in 1920, documents the celebrated collaboration between the Spanish artist and Serge Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes. Classified as an Illustrated Book, this work is not an original drawing but rather a fine print intended to disseminate and preserve Picasso’s revolutionary set and costume sketches for the 1919 production.

The piece utilizes sophisticated reproductive techniques characteristic of high-end portfolios from the era. The base image is rendered via collotype, a photomechanical process valued for its high resolution and ability to reproduce tonal subtleties without a screen pattern. This detail is crucial for capturing the vitality of the original sketch. Furthermore, the print features pochoir, a labor-intensive method where stencils are applied by hand to add bold, saturated color, transforming the monochromatic collotype into a vibrant theatrical record. This technique ensured that the resulting prints, created in 1920, closely mirrored the intended impact of the stage designs.

This particular sheet derives from a comprehensive portfolio published following the ballet's successful premiere. The volume contained thirty-two collotypes in total, with thirty-one benefiting from the pochoir coloring. The publication highlights a significant phase in Picasso’s career, marking a temporary shift away from extreme Cubism toward a Neoclassical style suited for theatrical designs, albeit one infused with the distinct folk aesthetic of his native Spain. Le Tricorne, with music by Manuel de Falla, drew upon traditional Andalusian characters and costumes, providing Picasso the opportunity to explore dramatic figure studies.

As a key record of modernist stagecraft, this example of early 20th-century prints is considered essential documentation of the fusion between fine art and performance. Though initially designed as part of a limited edition publication, works like this now frequently enter the public sphere through institutions that have digitized their collections. This essential piece of performance history remains an important resource for scholars of the period and resides in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.