The Don Quixote drawing from 1955 demonstrates an important style of work from Picasso, far away from the complexities of his Cubist and Surrealist oil paintings. Simplicity and abstraction go hand-in-hand for this artist when producing hundreds of these sketches.
Besides this artwork, similar approaches were completed with the likes of Owl, Dog, Penguin and several other animal portraits.
Picasso found enjoyment in the challenge of creating portraits which were instantly recognisable, but at the same time made use of the fewest number of pencil strokes possible. This game would help him to achieve extraordinary levels of abstraction which perfectly sum up the principles of 20th century modern art.
This artwork features Don Quixote de la Mancha with his horse Rocinante as the main focal point. You will also see his donkey Dapple, the sun, and several windmills produced with minimal complexity.
This sketch was printed in the August 18-24 issue of 'Les Lettres Francaises'. It marked a key anniversary of Cervantes's Don Quixote.
The abstract nature of this, and several of his animal drawings, have proved a real hit with art fans - plenty make use of it as an art print for their own home.
