Pablo Picasso (1881–1973)
Le Goût du Bonheur (“The Taste of Happiness”), 1970
Deluxe Edition with Original Signed Etching – One of only 33 copies for France and One of Only 105 Copies
An exceptional and highly sought-after deluxe edition of Le Goût du Bonheur, one of Pablo Picasso’s most celebrated late illustrated book projects, published in 1970 by Éditions Cercle d’Art, Paris, with simultaneous editions for France, Germany, and the United States.
This prestigious portfolio reproduces three of Picasso’s personal sketchbooks from 1964 and was conceived with the direct participation of the artist. The publication represents an intimate glimpse into Picasso’s creative process during the final decade of his life, revealing spontaneous drawings, portraits, studies, and visual notes reproduced with remarkable fidelity to the original notebooks.
The deluxe edition is distinguished by the inclusion of the original hors-texte etching:
Le Peintre devant son Chevalet
Original etching, signed by Pablo Picasso in pencil
Catalogues raisonnés: Bloch 2013 – Cramer 148
Unlike the standard edition issued in 1,893 copies without the etching, this deluxe version was limited to only 105 examples worldwide, distributed as follows:
35 copies for France
35 copies for Germany
35 copies for the United States
Each example contains the original signed etching in addition to the complete portfolio.
Technical Details
Artist: Pablo Picasso
Title: Le Goût du Bonheur
Author: Jean Marcenac
Publisher: Éditions Cercle d’Art, Paris
Year: 1970
Format: Portfolio in original wooden presentation box
Paper: Vélin d’Arches
Portfolio size: 32.7 × 25.8 cm
Contents:
Original signed etching (Le Peintre devant son Chevalet)
71 full-page reproductions after Picasso’s drawings
27 color plates
Reproductions of three complete sketchbooks from 1964
Printing: Dietz Offizin Handpresse, Lengmoos/Obb.
Etching printed by Atelier Crommelynck
Significance
Le Goût du Bonheur is widely regarded as one of the most ambitious and visually compelling late Picasso book projects. Rather than illustrating a literary text, the publication presents Picasso’s own sketchbooks as autonomous works of art, offering a rare documentary record of the artist’s private creative world.
The original signed etching included in the deluxe edition elevates the portfolio from an illustrated book to a genuine Picasso graphic work of the highest collectible category. Because only 105 examples were issued with the signed etching, complete portfolios in original condition are encountered far less frequently than the standard edition.
Condition
Complete deluxe portfolio preserved in its original wooden presentation box, retaining the original signed etching and the full suite of reproduced sketchbook plates.
A rare opportunity to acquire one of Picasso’s most desirable late illustrated book portfolios, combining exceptional rarity, an original signed graphic work, and direct insight into the artist’s personal notebooks and creative process.
