This informal sketch has become one of the artist's most respected and much loved animal drawings.
Picasso took on many animal for this style of minimalist sketching, such as cats, dogs and a variety of birds such as pigeons and owls.
Some were his own pets, others he simply came across during his life.
There were also some portraits which were purely from his creative mind and imagination.
Many sketches from Picasso, plus other mediums in which he tried his hand, had clear political symbolism. They would often represent peace, friendship and solidarity.
Camel appears to simply be a sketch of an animal, with no real meaning behind it. The artist may have been purely exercising his artistic mind during a spare moment.
Picasso produced Various Animals in 1907. It was part of a sketchbook which featured pencil, pen and ink artwork.
On one of those pages you will find a selection of camels, birds and insects. The artist was clearly practicing these elements in preparation for either a future work, or perhaps purely for his own amusement.
The sketchbook was a collections of drawings for Apollinaire's Bestiary. There were a total of nine pages devoted to animals.
Pablo was regularly commissioned to create illustrations to sit alongside his friend's poems or stories. He did not like doing commissioned based work, though, and would often just submit work that he already had to hand.
Bestiary received many new drawings from Picasso, especially for this title. The author, however, had been expecting woodcuts.
Picasso created each of these charming creatures through a single, unbroken line.
Some of these creations appeared in a manuscript page, held by Apollinaire. Thus, confirming him as the artwork commissioner.
Other animals in this series included a turkey, a rooster, an ostrich, an owl, a stork and a dachshund. They were all in black ink.
Red ink lines produced rabbits, snakes, an egret and an ox.
Many were not used in the end, and artist Picasso probably expected so. He was, therefore, just getting carried away with his own creative enthusiasm.
Framed reproductions of a Picasso Camel print have proved popular choices in recent years.
The clear line of this work can be suited to different sizes of print, whilst the subject matter can seem charming to art fans.
Our recommended retailer, Art.com, display a gallery of the most popular art from Picasso's entire career. You will find Camel within the top 20, from a very long list.
It sits prominently alongside the likes of his dog, cat and penguin sketches.
