Picasso's One-Liners [Hardcover]

Susan Grace Galassi Ph.D. (Introduction), Pablo Picasso (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 5, 1997

Picasso's "one-liners" constitute a small but delightful contribution to the artist's great body of drawings. His preeminence as a draughtsman has long been recognized, but the unique nature of his one-liners has never been fully examined, or collected together in a single volume. Picasso's One-Liners, featuring fifty drawings, offers a fascinating look at this whimsical side of Picasso's work.

Defined simply, one-liners are drawings in which the artist's drawing implement touches the paper and is not lifted until the drawing is finished. Picasso worked this way in a variety of media, including pencil, pen and ink, brush, and crayon and his subjects included harlequins, musicians, circus scenes, and animals. Each drawing is worth careful study, for by following the vibrant line closely, one's eyes take a wonderful rollercoaster ride.

Along with the "one-liner" art are quotes taken from Picasso's writing, giving full flavor to the influence of the art and the man.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

Picasso's "one-liners" constitute a small but delightful contribution to the artist's great body of drawings. His preeminence as a draughtsman has long been recognized, but the unique nature of his one-liners has never been fully examined, or collected together in a single volume. Picasso's One-Liners, featuring 50 of the drawings, offers a fascinating look at this whimsical side of Picasso's work.

Defined simply, one-liners are drawings in which the artist's drawing implement touches the paper and is not lifted until the drawing is finished. Picasso worked this way in a variety of media, including pencil, pen and ink, brush, even light crayon. His subjects included harlequins, musicians, circus scenes, and animals. Each drawing is worth careful study, for by following the vibrant line closely, one's eyes take a wonderful roller-coaster ride.

Along with the one-liner drawings are similarly direct "one-liner" quotes taken from Picasso's writings, which provide further insight into the artist's creative process. The introduction, by art historian Susan Grace Galassi, examines the special nature of these graphic tours-de-force and their place in his drawings.

About the Author

Pablo Picasso is widely considered the greatest artist of the twentieth century. In a career spanning seventy-five years, he mastered virtually every medium of visual artistic expression and was a principal force in the development of modern art. Although his paintings are best known, many critics believe his drawings to be equally innovative.

Susan Grace Galassi is the author of Picasso's Variations on the Masters: Confrontations with the Past (Abrams, 1996). She received her Ph.D. in art history from the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University, and is currently Associate Curator of The Frick Collection in New York City.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 80 pages
• Publisher: Artisan; First Edition edition (January 5, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 188518378X
• ISBN-13: 978-1885183781
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 6.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #636,399 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Picasso's lesser known drawings, June 13, 2005

By 

Bookworm (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Picasso's One-Liners (Hardcover)

This little book consists of Picasso's pen and ink drawings that he completed with one line (never picking the pen up off of the paper. Matadors, bulls and harlequins are among the subject matter of the drawings. There are occaional quotes interspersed throughout the book. This a cute little book that would make a fun gift for a Picasso fan.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful!, April 11, 2001

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Picasso's One-Liners (Hardcover)

This little book is a real joy, and it should have a wide appeal. Seeing what vital fun Picasso can have by putting his pen down on the paper for just one long line is a great way to enter into what drawing and art are all about. In my opinion, this book makes a great gift--though small, it is unlike many "coffee table books" people are always giving, in that the quantity of sheer fun on every page (also through Picasso's verbal one-liners) keeps beckoning you to open it up, the way you might put a favorite CD on the stereo. A great little book full of artistic delight!

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Amazon's False Advertising, February 27, 2006

By 

Lauren Jurgensen "Connoisseur" (Washington, D.C.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Picasso's One-Liners (Hardcover)

I ordered this from Amazon two months before Christmas as a gift, and was told that it would arrive on time. Amazon later informed me that the book would not arrive until February. When February finally came, they sent an email to say that I would not be receiving the book at all because they could not find a copy of it anywhere.

Amazon is showing this item for sale but does NOT have it available -- don't waste your time ordering from here!

(By the way, the book is absolutely wonderful, as I have been fortunate enough to read through it before; I would give the book itself 5 stars but Amazon 1 star for false advertising. Hence, 4 stars.)