The linocut is derived from the woodcut with its inking from the surfaces that were not previously hollowed. The linoleum has two advantages over wood : it is less hard and is not fibrous, allowing the execution in reserves of a sharper picture.
At that time Pablo does not hesitate any more to announce his inspirations drawn from art history, as masterfully demonstrated by the Women of Algiers after Delacroix. His choice of the Portrait of a Young Woman from Cranach the Younger is nevertheless by chance : he has just received from Kahnweiler a postcard illustrated by this image.
It is his first serious test in color linocut. He starts with two colors, observes that his process is under control and improves this work in five colors : sepia, yellow, red, blue and black. The printing is done by Arnéra in Vallauris and the Galerie Louise Leiris publishes it in 50 serialized copies with an image 64 x 53 cm on Arches wove paper 76 x 57 cm to which about 15 unnumbered artist's proofs are added.
An artist's proof signed and dedicated by Pablo to a friend is estimated $ 500K for sale by Sotheby's in New York on October 27, lot 26. One of the fifty commercial prints, also signed, was sold for $ 700K including premium in the same auction room of 20 April 2016 over a lower estimate of $ 400K.
SOLD for $ 610K including premium
#AuctionUpdate Picasso's 'Portrait de jeune fille, d'apres Cranach le jeune. II (B. 859; Ba.1053)' sells for $610K #SothebysPrints pic.twitter.com/sObMGRB1hJ
— Sotheby's (@Sothebys) October 27, 2016