Saint Matorel

Saint Matorel is an important illustrated book created by Pablo Picasso between 1910 and its publication in 1911. The work, which exemplifies early Modernist collaborations between writers and visual artists, is classified specifically as an illustrated book featuring four original prints. This Spanish masterwork places Picasso firmly within the Parisian avant-garde environment, even as he simultaneously pioneered the complex geometries of Analytic Cubism in his contemporaneous paintings. The process of creating this work began in 1910, culminating in its official release the following year.

The collaboration required Picasso to translate the emerging Cubist aesthetic into the precise, linear demands of printmaking. The four illustrations utilize etching, with one impression incorporating drypoint, a technique that allows for a rich, velvety line quality due to the burr raised on the plate. These graphic techniques were critical for conveying the fractured forms and overlapping planes characteristic of early Cubism. Unlike Picasso’s oil paintings, where color and texture defined volume, the illustrations for Saint Matorel rely solely on line and tone to define space and form. The delicate shading and rigorous cross-hatching demonstrate the artist's ability to maintain structural integrity while pushing the boundaries of abstraction, marking a key moment in the development of the period style.

This period of graphic experimentation defined Picasso’s engagement with etching, establishing a precedent for his prolific output of prints and lithographs throughout his subsequent career. Although the book format makes these specific illustrations relatively rare, the inclusion of original graphic prints within a bound volume ensured that the works were distributed and recognized among intellectual circles, influencing future artist-book collaborations. This pivotal piece of graphic art, documenting Picasso’s critical juncture between drawing and Cubism in the years 1910, published 1911, is housed in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA).