Ambroise Vollard III c. 1937

Picasso made this etching, Ambroise Vollard III, with aquatint on laid paper. The process is right there on the surface. Look at the almost brutal way Picasso has scrubbed the plate back to front. You can see the tonal variations which gives it a kind of smoky quality. It feels like you could reach out and touch Vollard's face. It's the same with his suit, which Picasso has suggested with these dark, heavy markings around the lapels. The contrast is brilliant! Now look at his head, that's really where the action is. See how Picasso has left a lot of the etching untouched there, almost bleaching it out. The marks are like a constellation, a little like Cy Twombly. And then you see Picasso's signature, almost like he's signing off on the whole messy, beautiful process. For me, Vollard III is a testament to Picasso's incredible skill and his ability to make something both raw and refined.