S otheby’s Paris is pleased to present a truly exceptional selection of prints from the collection of master printmaker Aldo Crommelynck. Recognised as the pre-eminent intaglio printer of the 20th century, Crommelynck was instrumental in shaping the printed oeuvres of leading modern and contemporary artists. The works 💜on offer will shed light on his fruitful collaborations with French, American and British artists such as Georges Braque, Pablo Picasso, Jasper Johns🅰 and David Hockney.
Open for bidding online from 1-7 July, this auction features rarely seen etchings and important suites, such as Picasso’s monumental 156 Series, and a preparatory drawing by Jean-Michel Basquiat.
Suite 156, the final engraved masterpiece by Pablo Picasso, was created between 1970 and 1972 in the studio of Aldo Crommelynck, a master printmaker and devoted artis𓂃tic collaborator🐻. This series stands as a poignant artistic testament, paying homage to the Old Masters while revisiting the core themes that haunted Picasso throughout his life: mythology, the circus, eroticism, masks, and self-portraiture. Driven by an acute awareness of time slipping away, Picasso embraced a bold, unrestrained graphic expression, blending provocation, spontaneity, and technical virtuosity. He developed an elliptical, almost shorthand visual language in which each line encapsulates an emotion, memory, or desire. After his death, this deeply intimate and innovative work garnered admiration from a new generation of artists, opening fresh avenues for figurative language and leaving a lasting impact on both Pop Art and Neo-Expressionism.
Strengthened by his close collaboration with Picasso and his work alongside other major figures of modern art, Aldo Crommelynck became, from the 1960s onward, a central figure for American collectors and artists drawn to the refinement of French printmaking. After Picasso’s death in 1973, he began fruitful partnerships with artists such as Jim Dine, Jasper Johns, David Hockney, Richard Hamilton, and later inspired figures like Jean-Michel Basquiat♔. Crommelynck’s exceptional mastery and innovative spirit helped restore the prestige of intaglio printmaking. In 2014, the Bibliothèque nationale de France paid tribute to his influence with a major retrospective. Today, his artistic legacy endures—particularly in the United States—where his etching presses are still in active use, bearing witness to his lasting impact on contemporary printmaking.
