Pablo Picasso

Seven linoleum cuts printed in colors, 1962, the full set of color proofs including the final state, the final state signed in pencil and numbered 27/50, five prints with the inkstamp of the Arnéra archives on the verso, each on wove paper, published by Galerie Louise Leiris in 1963, one framed (7 prints) 

The prints are in good condition, the full sheets. There is pale mat-stain, discoloration and stray ink in the margins of plates I, IV, V, VI, and the final state. Minor surface soiling in plate I, III and on the verso of plate VI. Minor creasing in plate I, the bottom left corner and top of plate II, the top corners of plate IV and the top corners of the final state. There is offprint (of unrelated images) on plates II, III, IV and VI. Plate VI: Inscribed in the bottom left corner '3eme Couleur Epreuve le 28-2-62'. The ink stamp of the Arnéra archives in the bottom right corner. Plate II: The verso is unevenly discolored in the top left corner and the left side of the sheet.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Variation does not mean evolution. If an artist varies his mode of expression this only means that he has changed his manner of thinking, and in changing, it might be for the better or it might be for the worse.
Picasso Speaks in The Arts, New York, May 1923. pp. 315-26; Reprinted in Alfred Barr: Picasso, New York 1946. p. 391

The reduction linoleum cut, a process Picasso invented, enabled the printmaker to complete an entire composition with one block rather than utilizing a separate block for each color. Areas were cut away after each color run was completed, a revolution in the way linoleum cuts were made, which ensured that a composition could never be recreated. It took an artist of Picasso’s skill to envision a completed image before he began and to cut away accordingly. This decomposition of Grande Tete de Femme, comprising each stage of the project, perfectly illustrates the process of reduction linoleum cut and the potential to layer multiple colors using only a single block.