Plate VII, Le Cocu Magnifique

Description of Art: This etching is Plate VII from Pablo Picasso’s Le Cocu Magnifique suite, which comprises twelve original prints created in 1968 to illustrate Fernand Crommelynck’s theatrical text.

In Plate VII, Picasso renders a dramatic scene with minimal line and tonal gradation, employing finely controlled cross-hatching and subtle variation of black and gray to evoke depth and spatial tension. The figures, though partially abstracted, retain a sense of movement and gesture—limbs and torsos overlap, suggesting both narrative action and psychological complexity. The composition balances emptiness and form: white space is as expressive as inked areas, allowing the viewer’s eye to float across implied motion.

As part of the Le Cocu Magnifique series, this plate reflects Picasso’s mature handling of allegory, eroticism, and theatricality. The title of the play—“the magnificent cuckold”—and the etching’s visual tension both hint at themes of betrayal, spectacle, and human folly. Here, Picasso transforms literary drama into visual poetry, offering both narration and abstraction within one stark print.