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14 The Late Period: 1969–1972

The final years of Picasso’s life were indeed marked by exceptional creativity and productivity: from 1961 onwards, he was living at the Mas Notre-Dame-de-Vie in Mougins, and he made 194 drawings between 1969 and 1971, 156 prints between 1971 and 1972, and more than 350 paintings completed between 1969 and his death in 1973. This immense body of work was showcased in two exhibitions held in Avignon, in 1970 and 1973.
Picasso’s favourite theme during these years was undeniably the human figure, explored in a variety of forms: male and female portraits, depictions of couples, and occasional representations of families, such as ★The Family★ (no. 77). This period also saw an explosion of colours. The works are further characterised by a great freedom of movement and a more pronounced gestural quality than those of previous years. While some commentators mocked these late works as grotesque or senile, most critics of the time praised the artist’s painterly virtuosity and undiminished creativity of the artist at the beginning of his nineties.