Le Bain (The bath) (from 'La Suite des Saltimbanques' series) 1905, printed 1913

Le bain (The bath) 1905 unmasks a couple during a private family moment offstage. Still wearing his harlequin hat, a male performer gazes at his partner, who smiles gently as she dries off their small child after his bath. The presence of circus props – a drum and some boxes for tumbling acts – reminds us that the family are travelling street performers; though while they may be without a fixed home, Picasso’s evocation of their close family ties suggests a prevailing sense of domestic fulfilment.

The emergence of the harlequin in the saltimbanque prints is significant; the figure would haunt Picasso’s works for decades, often as a symbol for the artist himself. The harlequin’s apparent androgyny was also a consistent trait, first commented on by Apollinaire. Regardless of gender, it is the deep humanity and tenderness of the circus performers that Picasso foregrounds in this image.

This impression comes from a small number of proofs commissioned from the Paris-based master printer Louis Fort prior to the plates being reinforced with steel. Like the early editions printed by Auguste Delâtre, these proofs by Fort in very limited numbers are exceptionally rare and are considered to show a better, more detailed impression of the original plate.