At its origins, a gesture by Pablo Picasso
Éditions Cercle d’Art was born of a founding artistic gesture and friendship: that of Pablo Picasso, a major figure in modern art, who played the role of godfather when the company was founded in 1949.
It was at the end of the war, in a context of reconstruction and cultural reinvention, that Charles Feld, a printer involved in the Resistance, thought of founding a publishing house dedicated to art. Encouraged by Picasso, who saw books as a powerful means of disseminating art, he created Cercle d’Art with the ambition of making artists’ work accessible to a wider public, without compromising on quality.
Pablo Picasso, then at the height of his international fame, actively supported this initiative. He entrusted his works and writings to the company, and did not hesitate to place his trust in its first publications. This collaboration gave birth to such emblematic works as Toros y Toreros or Linogravurestrue masterpieces of art publishing.
Pablo Picasso became an essential artistic partner, present at every stage, from design to production. Thanks to him, Cercle d’Art enjoyed an exceptional reputation from the outset, supported by the presence of this visionary artist, who was aware of the contemporary challenges of artistic reproduction.
A pioneering vision of art publishing, inspired by Pablo Picasso
Long before the advent of pop art and Andy Warhol’s media explosion of the image, Picasso had already sensed the importance of the multiple: to reproduce a work of art was not to alter its value, but to broaden its scope. He was one of the first to understand that the art book, once it combined editorial work, precision printing and quality artistic interpretation, could become a medium in its own right.
With Picasso, Éditions Cercle d’Art has set an unwavering standard: to offer books of impeccable graphic and documentary quality, where attention to detail always serves the power of the work.
An exceptional artistic and editorial heritage
Following in Picasso’s footsteps, the company has built up a prestigious catalog devoted to ancient, modern and contemporary art, exploring the great figures of art history as well as emerging talents.
Each book is conceived as a printed work, faithful to the creative spirit that animated Picasso himself: generous, innovative and free.
Pablo Picasso, guiding light from yesterday to today
More than seventy years after its creation, Éditions Cercle d’Art continues to pursue the mission outlined by Pablo Picasso and Charles Feld: to show art through books, combining editorial rigor, freedom of vision and manufacturing excellence.
Today, this fidelity to the original spirit is reflected in a multi-faceted, open-ended editorial line that embraces both the great figures of art history and the unexpected territories of contemporary creation. Whether celebrating the masters or offering fresh perspectives on urban, cultural or even sporting issues, Cercle d’Art is constantly expanding the field of the sensitive.
This openness is reflected in emblematic works such as 24 Hours of Le Mans – 1923-2023a vibrant tribute to a century of automobile performance, Actors of the Century, which brings together the great intellectual and artistic voices of our time, and the prestigious Car Racingseries, which celebrates automotive culture through the lens of legend and aesthetics.
In a world saturated with ephemeral images, Éditions Cercle d’Art reaffirms its belief in the power of the book as a space for contemplation, transmission and memory. Each book is conceived as a showcase for the work, a place where image, text and editorial gesture unite to honor the artist, document creation and nourish the eye.
And so, like an invisible but very much alive thread, Picasso’s breath continues to irradiate every editorial project, reminding us in every book that art and books, united by the same demands, retain their capacity to enlighten the world.
