Picasso’s Hand

Picasso and Brassaï met in 1933, and the two formed a lasting relationship. Moreover, Picasso greatly admired Brassaï for his ability to convey the monumentality of his sculpture.

In 1949 Brassaï photographed the sculpture of Picasso’s right hand for the cover of the book Les Sculptures de Picasso. Displayed in this section are various hands and eyes made by Picasso, who related in a 1933 interview with his gallerist, Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler, how he had placed the palm of his hand in a ductile material that he then used as a mold for pouring the plaster. Shown here is an exact reproduction on which it is possible to appreciate the fingerprints, lines, and volumes in full detail. Picasso’s eyes, of which three different examples are on display here, take us back to different moments of Greek Antiquity.