David and Bathsheba

Pablo Picasso Spanish
Printer Fernand Mourlot French
Publisher Galerie Louise Leiris

Not on view

Picasso appropriated Cranach's composition (1526, Staatliche Museen, Berlin) to retell the biblical story of King David's desire for Bathsheba, the wife of his military captain. He worked the lithograph in ten states between 1947 and 1949; this impression is from the fourth state. Proceeding from dark to light, Picasso drew the image by scraping out lines (which appear white when printed) on a zinc plate covered with black ink.

David and Bathsheba, Pablo Picasso (Spanish, Malaga 1881–1973 Mougins, France), Lithograph; fourth state of ten

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