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Pablo Picasso
| Title: |
Le Banquet |
| Medium: |
Original etching, 17th January 1934, 2nd State, on Velin Arches paper - watermarked with a monogram , signed by the artist in pencil with full margins |
| Image Size: |
Plate size : 220 x 147 mms, Paper size 375 x 280 |
| Reference: |
B.Baer 392. II.B . B Bloch 272 Cramer 24 |
| Condition: |
good |
| Price: |
Price On Application
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Edition: 130/150: This was from a portfolio of etchings with full margins, signed and numbered. The work also appeared in the book edition of 1500 on Rives paper without a watermark and small margins. In the book edition only the Colophon was signed in pencil and the etchings were unsigned. There were later facsimile copies of the book produced which are illustrated by prints after the originals. All the original plates were cancelled by the printer.
Note 1: This etching was one of 6 pieces which illustrated a book edition of an ancient Greek Play. Lysistrata was written by Aristophanes and originally performed in Athens about 411 BC. it is a comic account of one woman's extraordinary mission to end The Peloponnesian War. This sad affair had raged for 20 years and many casualties had been suffered by both sides. Lysistrata convinces the women of Greece to withhold sexual privileges from their husbands as a means of forcing the men to negotiate peace, a strategy however that inflames the battle between the sexes. The play is notable for its exposé of sexual relations in a male-dominated society and for its use of both double entendre and explicit obscenities. The dramatic structure represents a shift away from the conventions of Old Comedy, a trend typical of the author's career. It was produced in the same year as Thesmophoriazusae, another play with a focus on gender-based issues, just two years after Athens' catastrophic defeat in the Sicilian Expedition. Lysistrata however is an extraordinary woman with a large sense of individual responsibility. She has convened a meeting of women from various city states in Greece (there is no mention of how she managed this feat) and, very soon after confiding in her friend about her concerns for the female sex, the women begin arriving. With support from Lampito, the Spartan, Lysistrata persuades the other women to withhold sexual privileges from their menfolk as a means of forcing them to end the interminable Peloponnesian War. The women are very reluctant but the deal is sealed with a solemn oath around a wine bowl, Lysistrata choosing the words and Calonice repeating them on behalf of the other women. It is a long and detailed oath, in which the women abjure all their sexual pleasures, including The Lioness on The Cheese Grater (a sexual position). Soon after the oath is finished, a cry of triumph is heard from the nearby Acropolis - the old women of Athens have seized control of it at Lysistrata's instigation, since it holds the state treasury, without which the men cannot long continue to fund their war. Lampito goes off to spread the word of revolt and the other women retreat behind the barred gates of the Acropolis to await the men's response. A Chorus of Old Men arrives, intent on burning down the gate of the Acropolis if the women don't open up. Encumbered with heavy timbers, inconvenienced with smoke and burdened with old age, they are still making preparations to assault the gate when a Chorus of Old Women arrives, bearing pitchers of water. The Old Women complain about the difficulty they had getting the water but they are ready for a fight in defense of their younger comrades. Threats are exchanged, water beats fire and the Old Men are discomfited with a soaking. The magistrate then arrives with some Scythian archers (the Athenian version of police constables). He reflects on the hysterical nature of women, their devotion to wine, promiscuous sex and exotic cults (such as to Sabazius and Adonis) but above all he blames men for poor supervision of their womenfolk. He has come for silver from the state treasury to buy oars for the fleet and he instructs his Scythians to begin levering open the gate. However, they are quickly overwhelmed by groups of unruly women . Lysistrata restores order and she allows the magistrate to question her. She explains to him the frustrations women feel at a time of war when the men make stupid decisions that affect everyone and their wives' opinions are not listened to. She drapes her headdress over him, gives him a basket of wool and tells him that war will be a woman's business from now on. She then explains the pity she feels for young, childless women, ageing at home while the men are away on endless campaigns. When the magistrate points out that men also age, she reminds him that men can marry at any age whereas a woman has only a short time before she is considered too old. She then dresses the magistrate like a corpse for laying out, with a wreathe and a fillet, and advises him that he's dead. Outraged at these indignities, he storms off to report the incident to his colleagues and Lysistrata meanwhile returns to the Acropolis. The debate is continued between the Chorus of Old Men and the Chorus of Old Women until Lysistrata returns to the stage with some news — her comrades are desperate for sex and they are beginning to desert on the silliest pretexts (one woman, for example, says she has to go home to air her fabrics by spreading them on the bed). After rallying her comrades and restoring their discipline, Lysistrata again returns to the Acropolis to continue waiting for the men's surrender. A man soon appears, desperate for sex. It is Cinesias, the husband of Myrrhine. Lysistrata instructs her to torture him and Myrrhine then informs Cinesias that she can't have sex with him until he stops the war. He promptly agrees to these absurd terms and the young couple prepares for sex on the spot. Myrrinhe fetches a bed, then a mattress, then a pillow, then a blanket, then a flask of oil, exasperating her husband with delays until finally disappointing him completely by locking herself in the Acropolis again. The Chorus of Old Men commiserates with the young man in a plaintive song. A Spartan herald then appears with a large burden (an erection) scarcely hidden inside his tunic and he requests to see the ruling council to arrange peace talks. The magistrate, now also sporting a prodigious burden, laughs at the herald's embarrassing situation but agrees that peace talks should begin. They go off to fetch the delegates; and, while they are gone, the Old Women make overtures to the Old Men. The Old Men are content to be comforted and fussed over by the Old Women; and thereupon the two Choruses merge, singing and dancing in unison. Peace talks commence and Lysistrata introduces the Spartan and Athenian delegates to a gorgeous young woman called Reconciliation. The delegates cannot take their eyes off the young woman; and meanwhile, Lysistrata scolds both sides for past errors of judgement. The delegates briefly squabble over the peace terms; but, with Reconciliation before them and the burden of sexual deprivation still heavy upon them, they quickly overcome their differences and retire to the Acropolis for celebrations. Another choral song follows; and, after a bit of humorous dialogue between drunken dinner guests, the celebrants all return to the stage for a final round of songs, the men and women dancing together. Our etching shows the final celebratory scene from the play!
Note 2: The complete etchings in the series are as follows:
“Le serment des femmes” - Bloch 267 - In which Lysistrata swears an oath with the other women.
“Cinesias et sa famille” Bloch 268
“Cinesias et Myrrhine” Bloch 269
“Deux vieux au bord de la mer avec une Pelle et une Barque” Bloch 270
“Accord entre les Athenians et les Spartiates. La Paix” Bloch 271
“Le Banquet” Bloch 272 (Our work here described)
Note 3: The book was the result of an initiative by an association of American bibliophiles, the Limited Editions Club in New York. This group asked Picasso to illustrate “Lysistrata” a new translation of which had just been completed by Gilbert Seldes. Picasso had known the author since the 1920’s. Certainly the choice of Picasso for the job was definitely influenced by his recent successful rendering of Ovid’s “Metamorphoses”. Both works exhibit the same style and composition techniques.
Published by: The Limited Editions Club, New York
Printed by: Lacouriere, Paris, France
Provenance: Ernest Brown & Phillips Ltd, The Leicester Galleries. Their label verso
A further lable from the Leicester Gallery state: “Exhibition of works by P Picasso held at the Leicester Galleries, Leicester Square, London, January 8/30th 1946. No 20. Title: Lysistrata. Purchaser: John W Waterer, Esq.
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