In 1904 Pablo Picasso moved from Spain to Paris for good. While still in Spain, he produced a single print (Geiser, No. 1). With his move to Paris, he began his print oeuvre and succeeded in creating one of his most important and outstanding works with his first etching, "Le repas frugal". It laid the foundation for the most important print oeuvre of the 20th century.
This iconic image, completed by Picasso at the age of only 23, marks the beginning of Picasso's unparalleled career as a printmaker. The sense of despair and isolation is typical of his work at this time, reflecting his own circumstances. His time in Spain, especially in Barcelona, was already marked by deprivation and poverty. When Picasso finally moved to Paris in 1904, his situation did not improve, but became even worse at times. He shared this fate with many fellow artists, some of whom, like Picasso, had their small studio flat in the now legendary Bateau-Lavoir.
"Le repas frugal" is part of a series of 15 etchings and drypoint works, later subsumed by Ambroise Vollard under the title Saltimbanque-Suite.
"Le repas frugal" is still considered one of Picasso's most accomplished graphic works and is regarded as the last masterpiece of his Blue Period.
