The Reading (La Lecture)

The Reading (La Lecture) is a significant lithograph created by Pablo Picasso in 1925. This work, classified under the category of prints, represents the Spanish master's evolving stylistic concerns during the crucial transitional period of the mid-1920s. Executed using the planographic technique of lithography, the process allowed the artist to render figures with a velvety richness, utilizing tusche washes and subtle scraping to achieve tonal depth and a nuanced texture that differs from the sharp linearity of etching.

The period spanning 1925–26 marked a pivotal moment for Picasso. While retaining the monumental scale and figure studies developed during his Neoclassical phase, the artist began incorporating the formal distortions and underlying psychological tension associated with the burgeoning Surrealist movement. Even in seemingly quiet domestic scenes like The Reading, which depicts one or more figures absorbed in contemplation or literature, an abstract geometry challenges the classical modeling. This piece exemplifies the complexity of Picasso's production as he navigated the competing influences of tradition and the avant-garde, defining a new visual vocabulary for modern art.

The subject of reading was a frequent motif in Picasso’s oeuvre, often serving as a vehicle for exploring intimacy, introspection, and the psychological state of the sitter. This particular piece demonstrates the artist’s full command over the printmaking process, utilizing the lithograph’s potential to marry illustrative detail with expressive ambiguity. The work is foundational for understanding his shift toward Surrealism, setting the stage for his intensely experimental graphical output of the late 1920s and 1930s. This celebrated print is currently held in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York. Prints of this influential Spanish artwork continue to be widely accessible, making it a key reference point for students and scholars studying 20th-century graphic arts.