British Museum given $1.6M set of Picasso etchings

The British Museum says it has been given a complete set of 100 etchings by Pablo Picasso thanks to a donation from a financier.


Picasso called the etchings, made between 1930 and 1937, a ”visual diary.” They include images of his studio and his then-muse, Marie-Therese Walter, as well as scenes inspired by Greek mythology.


The museum says fund manager Hamish Parker bought the prints for about 1 million pounds ($1.6 million) as a gift for the museum.


Known as the Vollard Suite, the etchings were commissioned and published by Paris art dealer Ambroise Vollard. Some 313 sets were printed, and the set acquired by the museum is considered one of the best impressions.


The museum said Tuesday that it will put the etchings on display next year.