Cinquante chefs d'oeuvre 1959

Bold, theatrical, and unmistakably Cubist, this original 1959 poster was created by Pablo Picasso for the exhibition Cinquante Chefs-d’Oeuvre (“Fifty Masterpieces”) held at the Musée Cantini in Marseille. The show brought together some of Picasso’s most significant works, and this striking composition served as the official image for the event.

Rendered in deep purples, inky blacks, and cool geometric blues, the artwork reproduces one of Picasso’s intense still lifes—a bull skull set against an angular interior, its sharp forms silhouetted by the window’s divided panes. The skeletal structure is simultaneously abstract and symbolic: an homage to vanitas, mortality, and the raw material of art itself.

The poster was printed by the famed Mourlot atelier, whose collaboration with Picasso on original lithographs and exhibition posters defined a golden era of French printmaking. The crisp typography, understated yet elegant, lets the visual drama take center stage, while grounding the piece in its institutional setting.

More than a promotional object, this poster is a quintessential example of mid-century modernist design—combining artistic gravitas, curatorial prestige, and Picasso’s powerful visual language. A collectible artifact from one of 20th-century art’s most important voices.

Exhibition - Abstract - France

Cantini Museum Marseille

Printed by Mourlot

Good condition, slight creases