1950s Picasso, First Edition Blue Epoch Period Lithographs - A Pair

A beautiful set of two period full-color prints of oil paintings La Vie (Life, 1903) and The Old Guitarist (1903) by Pablo Picasso from a first limited edition art folio from 1950s. Printed on one side. Hand tipped-in on boards of heavy paper. Information regarding the original paintings will be found by lifting the pieces. Excellent condition - minor edge wear on the boards, never framed. Each piece overall is 11"W x 14.75"H La Vie Image 6.5" x 10.25"H The Old Guitarist Image 7.5" x 9.75"H William Lieberman writes: "La Vie is the most ambitious picture of the Blue period. Allegory is intended, but, as so often with Picasso, the symbolism remains personal and eludes exact interpretation. The awkwardly posed figures at the left derive from studies of a couple locked in an embrace. Here, however, their union seems protective rather than sensual. In the preliminary drawing specifically for La Vie, the man bears an obvious resemblance to Picasso himself. The points to an older woman who cradles a sleeping baby. In contrast to the naked couple, the heavily draped woman appears statuesque. Her features are less personalized, and she remains aloof. Two paintings in the background underscore the mood of sadness - above. a man clings to a woman; below, the same figure crouches in despair alone.