El Arrastre, avec Écuyère et Putto, from La Série 347 (B. 1509; Ba. 1525)

La Série 347 constitutes the greatest testimony to Picasso's highly inventive mature style. The plates feature recurring characters and themes, with Picasso himself represented in various forms including artist, faun, jester and buffoon. A central theme that emerged in the artist's work beginning in the 1960s was the notion of the artist as voyeur. Many of the 347 plates meld the artist's own fantasies with mythological figures and stories. Often rooted in literature or history, these fantasies take on new meaning when conflated with the artist's personal repertoire of motifs and penchant for eroticism. Many of the narratives are ambiguous, whereas others--such as Don Quixote--are more clearly recognizable, albeit revised and transformed into the utterly unique and incomparable style of Picasso. The methodical re-visiting of themes within the suite, as well as celebrated art historical motifs imbues these works with a psychological intensity. Many attributes of the series--such as the centrality of storytelling and sequence, as well as themes and characters--relate closely with earlier work, in particular La Suite Vollard from 1931. Another important source in La Série 347 is Rembrandt, whose work informs many of the scenes of musketeers, reclining nudes, and genre scenes. The 'Mousquetaire' that appears in many of the present 347 plates is perhaps inspired by Rembrandt. The 'Spectateur' is perhaps a representation of the artist as voyeur. At this point in his life, during his old age, Picasso was no longer an active participant in many of the fantasies which were the subject of his earlier work. His presence as a voyeur signals this transition and informs the reflective and often humorous tone characteristic of La Série 347.