ABOUT THE ARTIST

Pablo Ruiz Picasso (Málaga, October 25, 1881-Mougins, April 8, 1973) was a Spanish painter and sculptor, creator, together with Georges Braque, of Cubism.

He is considered since the beginning of the 20th century as one of the greatest painters who participated in the varied artistic movements that spread throughout the world and exerted a great influence on other great artists of his time. His works are present in museums and collections throughout Europe and the world.

In addition, he tackled other genres such as drawing, engraving, book illustration, sculpture, ceramics, and set and costume design for theatrical productions. He also has a brief literary work.

Politically, Picasso declared himself a pacifist and communist. He was a member of the Communist Party of Spain and the French Communist Party until his death, which occurred at the age of ninety-one. He is buried in the park of the Vauvenargues castle.

ABOUT THE WORK

The work Case for two violins in NFT format is based on a collage that occupies the two halves of a case for two violins, representing a violinist (on the inside of the cover of the case, made with newspaper clippings, corrugated cardboard, covers of books and strokes of black paint) and the outline of two violins (cut out of a sheet of wood, painted with black, red and white strokes, and containing the author's signature).

It could have been made around 1914-1915, a date justified by the fragments of books and press used in it, as well as by the artistic style in which it was made: synthetic cubism. This style starred in the Parisian art scene, from 1912 to 1920, and was invented by George Braque. It consists of gluing fragments of printed papers (newspapers, books), cardboard or decorative elements on a base to create a work of art, which can be imitated by reality. The signature of the work, after an exhaustive expert graphological study, meets the morphological characteristics necessary to affirm that

(Picasso, "Violin", ca. 1912, Center George Pompidou, Paris)

corresponds to that of Pablo Ruiz Picasso.

The two violins are made of pine wood on the front and poplar on the back; both unvarnished and with the front painted. Picasso used these types of wood in several sculptures, such as a Still Life made in 1914.

The figure of the violinist is made up of pieces of corrugated cardboard and several fragments of publications: a section of Le Petit Journal, published on January 14, 1893, which would correspond to a part of the torso; a fragment of the cover of Ruiz de Alarcón's Historias, published in 1914, and which was placed with the back facing up and on which one of the violinist's hands is drawn; and several fragments of Zizi's cover.

History of a Paris sparrow, dated 1892, which make up parts of the face and the cuff of one of the sleeves.