Dove of Peace by Pablo Picasso (1881–1973)
c. 1950
Cut Gitanes cigarette packet and crayon.
A remarkable and rare cut-out dove, fashioned from the back of a Gitanes cigarette packet and gifted by Pablo Picasso to the French politician and Resistance fighter Laurent Casanova.
Picasso’s dove emerged as one of the most enduring images of peace in modern art. In 1949, as Europe continued to bear the scars of war and the shadow of the Cold War lengthened across the continent, Picasso was invited to create an image for the First International Peace Congress in Paris. He chose the dove: rendered with restraint, tenderness and simplicity, it soon transcended the boundaries of the art world. Reproduced across borders and languages, the image became a universal symbol and a shared visual expression of the hope for peace.
During the post-war period, Picasso developed a friendship with Laurent Casanova, a prominent French politician and Resistance figure, following Picasso’s decision to join the French Communist Party in 1944. While having lunch together in Cannes, Picasso spontaneously cut this dove from a Gitanes cigarette packet and presented it to Casanova.
The work offers a rare insight into Picasso’s lesser-known practice of cut-outs and scissor work. Often spontaneous and whimsical, these small works were frequently made as personal gifts for family and friends.
Provenance
Personal gift from Pablo Picasso to Laurent Casanova.
Collection of Claudine Chomat, wife of Laurent Casanova.
Thence by descent to their daughter, Marie-Claude Michaut.
Authenticated by the Pablo Picasso Committee on 12 November 2025 and catalogued under reference 0303.
Dove of Peace by Pablo Picasso (1881–1973)
c. 1950
Cut Gitanes cigarette packet and crayon.
A remarkable and rare cut-out dove, fashioned from the back of a Gitanes cigarette packet and gifted by Pablo Picasso to the French politician and Resistance fighter Laurent Casanova.
Picasso’s dove emerged as one of the most enduring images of peace in modern art. In 1949, as Europe continued to bear the scars of war and the shadow of the Cold War lengthened across the continent, Picasso was invited to create an image for the First International Peace Congress in Paris. He chose the dove: rendered with restraint, tenderness and simplicity, it soon transcended the boundaries of the art world. Reproduced across borders and languages, the image became a universal symbol and a shared visual expression of the hope for peace.
During the post-war period, Picasso developed a friendship with Laurent Casanova, a prominent French politician and Resistance figure, following Picasso’s decision to join the French Communist Party in 1944. While having lunch together in Cannes, Picasso spontaneously cut this dove from a Gitanes cigarette packet and presented it to Casanova.
The work offers a rare insight into Picasso’s lesser-known practice of cut-outs and scissor work. Often spontaneous and whimsical, these small works were frequently made as personal gifts for family and friends.
Provenance
Personal gift from Pablo Picasso to Laurent Casanova.
Collection of Claudine Chomat, wife of Laurent Casanova.
Thence by descent to their daughter, Marie-Claude Michaut.
Authenticated by the Pablo Picasso Committee on 12 November 2025 and catalogued under reference 0303.
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