Plate: MP. 80

"The most important of the compositions which Picasso made in the 1950's were inspired by his passion for the bullfight and his involvement with making ceramics at Vallauris. The emotional drama, the colour, the panache and the clash of strength and power which are the essence of the Bullfight and so much a central element in the Spanish character were a vital element in Picasso's inspiration. In the years from the 1950's onwards, as he found himself increasingly tortured by finding the means of expression or the issues in his art, so the Bullfight also became one of the principal ways that he found release and entertainment" (Weston)

"Picasso received commissions from the Vallauris Potters Association to make posters to promote the region and its products. That was when Picasso became a successful poster artist. From this date on, with his intuition of genius and the virtuosity which accompanied his artistic production, Picasso began to produce posters of great originality, some of them true masterpieces" (Picasso p.22)

During the 1950s the renowned French printer, Mourlot Freres, printed most of the "original" posters of the most important artists of the day. In 1959 they printed the series "Affiches Originales" for collectors. They are reduced lithographic versions of the "original" posters created by the contemporary masters, Picasso, Chagall, Braque, Matisse, Miro, Leger, and Dufy.