Lot Essay
This book was published to commemorate the establishment of the Reventós-Picasso Foundation in memory of Dr Cinto Reventos (?-1968). One of Picasso's closest friends as a youth, Reventós had been a respected physician at the Hospital of the Holy Cross and of Saint Paul in Barcelona. The project was the initiative of Gustau Gili Esteve and of his wife, Anna Maria, and Picasso donated this plate for the publication. Proceeds from the sale of the book were used to set up a specialist unit for respiratory illnesses in the hospital. The printing was completed on 25 October 1971, Picasso's 90th birthday.