The Edward Quinn Archive

Best of Picasso at work

Edward Quinn lived and worked in the ‘50s and ‘60s as a photographer on the Côte d’Azur, the French Riviera. In 1951 he met and photographed Pablo Picasso for the first time. They became friends and Quinn photographed Picasso for the rest of the artist's life. 

Here you will find a small selection of top photos of Picasso at work. For other photos of Picasso at work please select the keyword AtWork in our extended search.

  • Pablo Picasso at work at the Madoura pottery in Vallauris. Above him is a statue of Saint-Claude, the patron saint of the potters, whose name was given to his younger son. Vallauris 23.3.1953. - Photo by Edward Quinn
  • Pablo Picasso works on "Tauromachie" at the Madoura pottery. Vallauris 23.3.1953. - Photo by Edward Quinn
  • Picasso with Irène Rignault (Madame X) and the portrait of her in October 1953. This painting valued at that time at 500'000 FF was later stolen from the property of Mme Madeleine Roger, mother of Mme Rignault at Bellerive-sur-Allier or sold by her. In the background an automatic piano which Picasso bought 1950 in a bistro in Vallauris. La Galloise, Vallauris Oct 1953. - Photo by Edward Quinn
  • Pablo Picasso with some of the ceramic figures he made in clay, before they are put in the kiln. With him is Suzanne Ramié of the Madoura pottery. Suzanne is wearing a pendant by Pablo Picasso. Outside Madoura pottery, Vallauris 1953 - Photo by Edward Quinn
  • Pablo Picasso working in his sculpture studio Le Fournas making a sculpture figure with odds and ends from his scrap heap. The finished sculpture got the name "La femme à la clé (La Taulière)", ("Woman with a key"). Vallauris 1953. - Photo by Edward Quinn
  • Pablo Picasso doing a charcoal drawing of the view from Le Fournas during filming of Luciano Emmer's documentary. Vallauris 26.6.1953. - Photo by Edward Quinn
  • Picasso working on the "War and Peace study" drawings on the wall of Chapelle de la Paix (or Temple de la Paix) for the documentary film of Luciano Emmer. (The panels of War and Peace of 1952 were away on exhibition). Vallauris 1953. - Photo by Edward Quinn
  • Pablo Picasso working on the "War and Peace study" drawings on the wall of Chapelle de la Paix (or Temple de la Paix) for the documentary film of Luciano Emmer. (The panels of War and Peace of 1952 were away on exhibition). Vallauris 1953. - Photo by Edward Quinn
  • Pablo Picasso working on a bucolic pastoral scene on drawing paper which was to serve as background for the film "Le mystère Picasso". Maya Picasso on the right. Nice, Studios de la Victorine 1955. - Photo by Edward Quinn
  • Pablo Picasso portrays a stage in the bullfight when the bullfighter is caught by the horns of the bull. During filming of "Le mystère Picasso". Nice, Studios de la Victorine, 1955. - Photo by Edward Quinn
  • Pablo Picasso, watched by Maya Picasso, painting on a Bota de vino (bota bag or wineskin). "Le mystère Picasso", Nice, Studios de la Victorine 1955. - Photo by Edward Quinn
  • Pablo Picasso with "Centaure". Filming of "Le mystère Picasso", Nice, Studios de la Victorine 1955. - Photo by Edward Quinn
  • Pablo Picasso during filming of "Le mystère Picasso". Nice, Studios de la Victorine 1955. - Photo by Edward Quinn
  • Pablo Picasso painting "La plage à la Garoupe I" for the film "Le mystère Picasso". Nice, Studios de la Victorine, 1955. - Photo by Edward Quinn
  • Pablo Picasso and Maya Picasso with painting "Femme nue allongée" or "Grand nu allongé aux bras croisés" during filming of "Le mystère Picasso", documentary. Nice, Studios de la Victorine, 1955. - Photo by Edward Quinn
  • Pablo Picasso at work during filming of "Le mystère Picasso". Nice, Studios de la Victorine, 1955. - Photo by Edward Quinn
  • During filming of "Le mystère Picasso". Pablo Picasso working on "Tête de femme" with colored ink. He had a frame constructed on which he could stretch a transluscent piece of paper. He drew on one side, and the camera filmed the drawing being born from the other side. Nice, Studios de la Victorine 1955. - Photo by Edward Quinn
  • Pablo Picasso working on two plasters of "Centaure". La Californie, Cannes 1956. - Photo by Edward Quinn
  • Pablo Picasso and Jacques Frélaut (right), his printer in Vallauris, and the painter Edouard Pignon. At a table by Joseph-Marius Tiola. La Californie, Cannes 1961. - Photo by Edward Quinn
  • Pablo Picasso working on gouache with Caran d'Ache wax oil pastels and water color. Pablo Picasso always liked surprises and in his work he encouraged unpredictable outcomes. La Californie, Cannes 1961. - Photo by Edward Quinn
  • Pablo Picasso washing a linocut print to remove surplus ink. Mas Notre-Dame-de-Vie, Mougins 1964. - Photo by Edward Quinn
  • Pablo Picasso working on the etching "Les coulisses du tableau: odalisque et peintre", 1970. Mas Notre-Dame-de-Vie, Mougins 1970. This photo sequence was made during the making of Quinn’s film "Pablo Picasso l' homme et son oeuvre". "When Pablo Picasso was eighty-nine he asked Quinn to film him making a drypoint in order to demonstrate the steadiness of his hand". (Quinn in conversation with Marilyn McCully 1983) - Photo by Edward Quinn