Towards the end of 1956 Picasso embarked on a collaboration with esteemed goldsmith François Victor-Hugo. This partnership was to conclude in 1961, when Picasso withdrew to live at Mougins, but their friendship was to last right up until the end of Picasso’s life. Together they collaborated on a series of plates, compotiers, vases, medallions and statuettes all in precious metals. The process was often lengthy and Picasso was meticulous in his vision, but Picasso soon grew to trust Hugo, impressed by the faithfulness in which he translated his designs into metal and the precision and quality of his execution. Much to Hugo’s distain, Picasso refused to show these works to the public, keeping them in his own collection as private treasures, until his death.

Taureau (P.H. 1413) is one of the finest medallions Picasso produced, displaying an image of the bull, which was a popular motif in the artist’s oeuvre. Bullfight imagery is a consistent theme across Picasso’s work spanning from paintings, prints to ceramics. As soon as he learned to walk, the young artist attended bullfights, and his first drawing of one was in 1890, when he was nine years old. This activity became a lasting fascination throughout his adult life, with Picasso often identifying himself with the brave and mysterious picador.