Picasso Prints: The Vollard Suite

I recently went to the British Museum to see the collection of etchings by Picasso. There were over 100 intaglio prints spanning from 1930 to 1937, a time when Picasso was involved in a passionate affair with his muse Marie-Thérèse Walter, who features quite a lot.

There is a definite focus on classical sculpture, but i was drawn to the darker etchings of Minotaur. In classical mythology this fierce creature with a bull's head and a human body, was trapped in a labyrinth by the King of Crete. Later slain by the Athenian prince Theseus. In the 1930's, many surrealists depicted this beast as it represented irrational and suppressed instincts. The Minotaur can be seen throughout many etchings, as if to reflect Picasso's challenging personality. 

So interesting to see his more simple linear work.