Picasso: Toreros. With Four Original Lithographs

New York / Monte Carlo: George Braziller / André Sauret, 1961 With 103 full-page illustrations by Pablo Picasso, and four original lithographs (three in black and white, and one in twenty-four colors). Translated from the French by Patrick Gregory. First edition, first printing. Publisher's red cloth, with illustration in black to front board, spine lettered in black, and illustrated endpapers; in its original black and white dust jacket, with matching Picasso illustrations to front and rear panels, and spine lettered in black. About fine book, with light spotting to the four lithographs, and a tiny bit of staining to top edge of text block; very good price-clipped dust jacket, with light toning to spine, a closed tear to front panel, discrete clear-tape reinforcement to aforementioned closed tear and spine ends, some color repair to spine, hint of tide marks to bottom edges of flap folds, and light wear to corners and along flap folds. Overall, a lovely copy, with bright and striking illustrations. This book contains works by Picasso on one of his favorite themes, bullfighting, composed by the artist between July 11, 1959 and June 26, 1960. One of Picasso's first paintings, made when he was eight years old, was of a yellow bullfighter (Le petit picador jaune), and Picasso returned periodically to bullfighting throughout his career, most notably in the 1930s and late 1950s. The imaginative force that bullfighting exerted on Picasso is not particularly surprising as he was born in Málaga, where bullfights were an integral part of the city's culture, hosted at the Plaza de Toros de la Malagueta. Picasso reputedly once said, "If I had not been a painter, I would have been a bullfighter.". First Edition. Hard Cover. Near Fine/Dust Jacket Included. Illus. by Picasso, Pablo.