Three Standing Nudes, with Sketches of Faces from Le Chef-d'œuvre inconnu

Three Standing Nudes, with Sketches of Faces from Le Chef-d'œuvre inconnu by Pablo Picasso is a significant etching created in 1927. This individual print is one of 13 commissioned for the 1931 publication of Honoré de Balzac’s classic novella, Le Chef-d’œuvre inconnu (The Unknown Masterpiece). Picasso’s engagement with the text, which focuses on an artist’s obsessive and ultimately destructive pursuit of perfection, resulted in a portfolio that transcends mere literary illustration, becoming a deeply personal meditation on the nature of artistic creation.

The composition centers on three monumental standing nudes, rendered in the neoclassical style that the Spanish master frequently revisited during the 1920s. Using the delicate and precise lines afforded by the etching process, Picasso defines the large, voluminous forms of the female figures. The serenity of the primary subjects, however, contrasts sharply with the smaller, rapidly sketched faces that appear in the borders and corners of the plate. These peripheral studies, captured through quick, almost automatic lines, reference the idea of preliminary drawings and studies, visually echoing the frantic creative process described in Balzac’s narrative.

Picasso executed the plates for this series during the period 1927–28, with the final illustrated book published in 1931. Classified within the category of the Illustrated Book, this work is recognized as a superb example of the collaborative fine art prints produced during the interwar period. The juxtaposition of classical forms and fragmented, often Surrealist, visual elements demonstrates the artist’s synthesis of various stylistic approaches during this complex decade. This pivotal piece reflecting the evolution of Picasso’s graphical output and his profound engagement with literary themes resides in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA).