Picasso Histoire Naturelle

Picasso was asked by publisher Ambroise Vollard to create a set of prints for the encyclopaedic work Histoire Naturelle by George Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon. The work was not start till many years later, when in 1936 Picasso took up the task and in just over a month produced 32 plates (sugar lift aquatints). It would not be till 1942 that 31 of the 32 prints would be published. In book form the prints of animals, birds, insects, etc were presented along with texts by Buffon selected by the publisher. The one print not to appear in the book was entitled 'The Flea' and was the only print to include a human. The flea was so small that it could hardly be made out. Perhaps that is why it was left out of the book.