Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) Pismo (letter) by Ilia Zdanevitch, known as Iliazd. March 3-April 14, 1947. Burin ; etching. Each [325 x 475]. Cramer 48. Exceptional suite, complete with 6 subjects and cover, in a large-margin separate edition, very fresh. These plates were engraved to illustrate the poet Iliazd's work, Pismo. Escrito por Iliazd. Grabado por Picasso, Paris, Latitud Cuarenta y uno [The Forty-One Degree], 1948. "Pismo" (which means "letter" in Russian) is intended as a love letter written by the poet for Olga Djordjaze, a young compatriot he had recently met in Cannes, with whom he rediscovered the pleasure of speaking his native language, and who challenged him to write this text "if only for [her]". The two friends toured Provence in 1946-1947, probably stopping off at Picasso's home in Golfe-Juan. The woman in these engravings is clearly Françoise Gilot, Picasso's companion at the time. Detail of the plates: - Pismo. Cover. (Pl. 2). March 3, 1947. Etching, scraping and burin. 207 x 332. Bloch 462; Baer 785 B a. Proof on a filled ivory vellum folder watermarked "pur fil marais", forming the cover of the suite, annotated at the foot "Picasso pour Iliazd. Cover on paper" and signed in pencil by Iliazd. Minor edge damage. - Nude in profile: left guard (Pl. 1). April 14, 1947. Burin. 64 x 625. Bloch 463; Baer 784 B a. Proof on old japon, annotated at the foot of the folio "Picasso pour Iliazd. Tirage unique en estampe" and signed in pencil by Iliazd. Two tiny foreign bodies inherent to the texture of the paper. Tiny band of dust along lower right margin. - Pismo. Title. (Pl. 2). March 3, 1947. Etching, scraping and burin. 207 x 332. Bloch 462; Baer 785 B a. Proof on old japon, annotated at the foot of the sheet "Picasso pour Iliazd. Tirage unique en estampe" and signed in pencil by Iliazd. A few tiny foreign bodies inherent to the texture of the paper. - Woman with leaves and arabesque (Pl. 5 and 3). March 3, 1947. Etching. 205 x 332. Bloch 466 and 465; Baer 786 I B a. Proof on old japon, before cutting the copper into two subjects, annotated at the foot of the sheet "Picasso pour Iliazd. Tirage unique en estampe" and signed in pencil by Iliazd. A few tiny foreign bodies inherent to the texture of the paper. Fine dust band along right margin. - Woman with leaves. (Pl. 5). March 3, 1947. Etching. 142 x 332. Bloch 466; Baer 786 II 1 a. Proof on old japon, from the left-hand jet after the copper cut, annotated at the foot of the sheet "Picasso pour Iliazd. Tirage unique en estampe" and signed in pencil by Iliazd. A few tiny foreign bodies inherent to the texture of the paper. - Woman in an armchair (Pl. 4). March 14, 1947. Burin. 139 x 325. Bloch 464; Baer 787 B a. Proof on old japon, annotated at the foot of the folio "Picasso pour Iliazd. Tirage unique en estampe" and signed in pencil by Iliazd. A few tiny foreign bodies inherent to the texture of the paper. Very slight dusting along upper margin (more visible on verso). - Front nude: right guard (Pl. 6). April 14, 1947. Burin. 65 x 325. Bloch 467; Baer 788 B a. Proof on old japon, annotated at the foot of the folio "Picasso pour Iliazd. Tirage unique en estampe" and signed in pencil by Iliazd. Two tiny foreign bodies inherent to the texture of the paper. Tiny, very light dust band along upper left margin. Joint: vellum folder annotated by Iliazd on the 1st cover "Sept / gravures originales de Picasso / pour illustrer Iliazd / Tirage unique en estampes de / six gravures", signed and dated "1948".