Literature

In this drypoint, the mother joyfully lifts the baby into the air while the father and monkey gaze lovingly at the child.  This tender image, in which the monkey “appears to be almost part of the family” is related to several other similar works by Picasso, including a painting titled The Acrobat’s Family with a Monkey in the Göteborgs Konstmuseum, Sweden, and a study on paper titled Circus Family with Violinist in The Cone Collection, Baltimore Museum of Art.[i]  Picasso originally composed this drypoint on a zinc plate that had previous minor damage, which is apparent in rare early Delâtre impressions.  The artist often used previously worked plates for his early prints and the patterns in such early examples are consistent with the haphazard foul-biting that appears on the reverse of an etched plate.  When Vollard later ordered the plates from the Suite des Saltimbanques to be steelplated and editioned, the previous damage on this particular plate was exaggerated by the process.  It was printed by Fort along with the rest of the Suite on both Van Gelder (250 impressions) and Japon (27 or 29 impressions).  Upon viewing the image, Vollard determined he would not sell it and destroyed most impressions; however, he kept some in reserve, as impressions on both papers exist.  Baer, the author of the catalogue raisonné of Picasso’s prints, estimates that approximately 50 survived, including the present example. The plate was later canceled and a few impressions taken from the canceled plate, as in this example.