Jose Delgado (1754-1801)
La tauromaquia o arte de torear. Barcelona, Gustavo Gili, 1959
Oblong Quarto, in sheets, with green printer's cover, illustrated with a drypoint drawing, folder, case
Limited print of 263 on Guarro vellum : one of 220 numbered from 31 to 250
One original drypoint and 26 original hors-texte sugar-lift aquatints by Pablo Picasso
Beautiful copy with the following dedication :
Pour mon ami Max Pellequer
Picasso
le 12.1.62
And adorned on the half-title with a color pencil drawing in full sheet representing the matador and picador facing the bull on the foreground, and spectators in the background.
This book was commissioned from Picasso by Gustavo Gili father in 1927, but the project did not happpen until 1956 when the younger Gustavo Gili chose the first bullfighting manual writtine by famour torero Pepe Illo (Jose Delgado) in 1796. Picasso, in 1957, returning from the Arles Spring bullfights, used a paintbrush on the copper plate itself to draw all the different phases. Also included are :
- The Vient de paraître for La tauromaquia o arte de torear. 2 sheets in-quarto with all illustrations
- The prière d'insérer La Cometa. 4 oblong sheets in-octo
(Goeppert & Cramer, "Pablo Picasso, catalogue raisonné des livres illustres", no. 100)
