Picasso Lithographs: Value, Signatures and What to Look For
Chali-Rosso has dealt in original works by the modern masters, Pablo Picasso among them, since 2005, and the questions collectors ask me about a Picasso lithograph are nearly always the same: is it original, is it signed, and what is it worth? Most of the answers can be found on the artwork itself and in the catalogue raisonné, and in this article I would like to explain what I look for.
What makes a Picasso lithograph original
An original print or fine art print is an artwork whose medium (the stone, the plate or the block) was created by the hand of the artist, and which was printed by the artist or under his supervision. That is the definition we work from, as set out on our Authenticity page.
For lithography, the medium is a flat stone or plate. The artist draws on it with a greasy crayon or a greasy ink called tusche, the surface is dampened with water, and the ink is taken up only by the greasy drawing. A colour lithograph requires a separate drawing for every colour. Our page on the Secrets of Printmaking explains the process in more detail.
In 1945 Picasso began working with the Mourlot lithography studio in Paris, and in the years that followed he created more than 400 lithographs there.
Please keep in mind that the word "lithograph" is also used in a second, misleading way. An offset reproduction is sometimes called a "lithograph", but that is incorrect, misleading and often done with fraudulent intent. It is worth remembering this distinction whenever you read a listing.
How to tell if a Picasso lithograph is signed
A hand signature is written by the artist in pencil directly on the finished artwork. On the hand-signed Picasso etchings in our collection, the signature is in the lower right, and where a work is numbered, the number is in the lower left. Proofs set aside from an edition for the artist's own use are marked E.A. (épreuve d'artiste) or A.P., and you may also see H.C. (hors de commerce). Our Terminology page explains these annotations.
A signature or date "in the plate" or "in the stone" is different. The artist drew it on the medium itself, so it was printed together with the image and appears on every artwork in the edition. The four A los Toros lithographs described below, for example, are dated in the plate rather than signed by hand.
What determines Picasso lithograph value
I am often asked to put a single number on "a Picasso", but there isn't one. The difference usually comes down to the following points.
- Signature. A hand-signed edition generally costs substantially more than an unsigned one, although, as I explain below, a signature does not make an artwork more original.
- Edition and publication. Many of Picasso's prints were created for illustrated publications and issued in large, unsigned editions. His six etchings for Aristophanes' Lysistrata (1934) are a good example: they were issued in an edition of 1,500, and there was also a deluxe edition of 150 that was hand signed.
- Catalogue raisonné entry. Every Picasso artwork in our collection is referenced by its number in Georges Bloch's catalogue raisonné, Pablo Picasso, catalogue de l'oeuvre gravé et lithographié, and that reference appears on its listing and its Certificate of Authenticity.
- The image and its period. Subject matter matters as well, and the great etching series of the 1930s, La Suite Vollard, is among Picasso's most celebrated graphic works.
- Condition. Light, moisture and temperature all contribute to the ageing of works on paper, and acidic mats and mounts can discolour them over time. Acid-free framing materials and proper storage help to preserve them.
- Provenance and documentation. The record of where a work has been, and the documents that accompany it, give a buyer confidence in the artwork.
In our own collection, Picasso works on paper start at $2,500 for unsigned lithographs. At the other end are hand-signed etchings from the Vollard Suite, such as Le Repos du sculpteur et la sculpture surréaliste (price on request). That etching was created on 31 March 1933, is hand signed in pencil in the lower right, comes from the edition of 260 on paper bearing the "Vollard" watermark, and it is referenced as Bloch number 169.
An original that isn't signed: the A los Toros lithographs
A signature does not make an artwork "more" original. Whether a work is original is decided by whether the artist created it, and unsigned original lithographs make up a considerable part of our collection, offering collectors genuine works by major artists at an accessible price. A small group of Picasso lithographs I am very fond of shows this clearly.
In 1961 Picasso created four original lithographs for Jaime Sabartés' publication A los Toros avec Picasso, a few days after he married Jacqueline at Vallauris. They are dated in the plate, and they are referenced as Bloch numbers 1014 to 1017. All four are currently in our collection: La Pique ($2,500, Bloch 1014), Jeu de la cape ($2,500, Bloch 1015), Les Banderilles ($2,500, Bloch 1016) and Picador ($3,500, Bloch 1017).
Picador is a colour lithograph, and Fernand Mourlot, Picasso's lithographer, told the story of how it came about: when he visited Picasso at Vauvenargues on 21 April, he asked, without much hope, whether the artist would agree to put some colours on the plates, and Picasso used every colour in the box of wax pencils he had at hand.
These are genuine, original Picasso lithographs, created by the artist himself.
Why provenance and a Certificate of Authenticity matter
A Certificate of Authenticity should name the work, its technique, date, dimensions, edition and catalogue raisonné reference, and describe the signature, numbering (if applicable) and where they appear, so that anyone can check each detail against the published catalogues raisonnés. Every work at Chali-Rosso comes with a Certificate of Authenticity based on reliable documentation and entries in the respective catalogues raisonnés, and these documents can be verified through third-party authenticators. We stand behind all of our artwork as original, with a lifetime guarantee.
Provenance, the record of where a work has been, adds further confidence.
Picasso linocuts: a word on the other technique
Collectors searching for Picasso lithographs and etchings often come across his linocuts too. In a linocut, similar to a woodcut, everything that should not be printed is cut away from a linoleum block. At the end of the 1950s, working in Vallauris with the printer Hidalgo Arnéra, Picasso developed the reduction method: instead of cutting a separate block for each colour, he cut away more and more of a single block between printings, so the earlier stages of the block no longer existed and the edition could not be printed again.
Browse our Picasso collection
You can see every Picasso artwork currently at the gallery in our Pablo Picasso collection, from the A los Toros lithographs to Lysistrata etchings such as Deux vieillards et voilier ($2,850), and many pieces from the famous hand-signed Vollard Suite etching series. If you are considering a particular work, email gallery@chalirosso.com or call 604.733.3594 for a price and condition report. Submit an inquiry; we offer installment plans in some cases. If you already own a Picasso artwork, send us clear photographs of the artwork and any distinguishing marks, such as signature or numbering, and I will be glad to take a look.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a Picasso lithograph worth?
It depends on the signature, the edition, the image and the condition. An unsigned original lithograph can cost a thousand dollars or more, while a hand-signed edition is substantially more. At our gallery, Picasso works on paper start at $2,500.
How can I tell if a Picasso lithograph is hand signed?
A hand signature is written in pencil on the finished artwork. On the hand-signed Picasso etchings in our collection it appears in the lower right, and where a work is numbered, the edition number is in the lower left. A signature or date printed in the plate was drawn on the medium and printed together with the image.
Is an unsigned Picasso lithograph still original?
Yes, if Picasso created it on the stone or plate and it was printed under his authority. Many of his lithographs and etchings were published unsigned, such as the four A los Toros lithographs of 1961. They are recorded in the catalogue raisonné and are genuine original lithographs.
Where can I find an authentic Picasso lithograph for sale?
Buy from a dealer who gives you the catalogue raisonné number, full details of the edition, paper and signature, and a Certificate of Authenticity you can verify independently. Be cautious with listings that describe a "limited edition lithograph" without a catalogue raisonné reference. Our current Picasso graphic works, each with documentation, are in the Pablo Picasso collection online and at the gallery.
What is a Picasso linocut?
Linocut is a relief printmaking technique, which is basically cutting into a linoleum sheet or block. Picasso created his most well-known linocuts in Vallauris from the late 1950s using a reduction technique, cutting away more of a single block for each successive colour. Because the block was cut down as he worked, the edition could not be printed again.