Myth and metamorphosis: Picasso's classical prints of the 1930s

Abstract

By exposing that autonomy as a fantasy, Picasso opens the "classical" work and its viewer alike to the entanglements of desire and the dissolution of boundaries it inevitably brings." "Much of the argument turns on close readings of key surrealist texts by Georges Bataille, Michel Leiris, and Roger Caillois. Even more important, however, are the prints' numerous references, many heretofore unnoticed, to specific works by, among others, Rubens, Rembrandt, and Goya. These references effectively create an alternative "classical" tradition out of which Picasso's etchings can be seen to have emerged."--Jacket.

Contents

In the background of Picasso's classical prints -- Metamorphic images: Picasso's illustrations of Ovid -- The structure of the Vollard Suite -- Of myth and Picasso's minotaurs -- The classical prints in the context of Picasso's oeuvre.