Image: National Gallery of Art collection image; media not available for download
View source →The Frugal Repast
Pablo Picasso, 1904, published 1913
Technical Details
Medium
Etching on wove Van Gelder paper
Dimensions
46.3 × 37.7 cm (plate) (18.2 × 14.8 in)
Style
Expressionism / Printmaking
Decade
1900s
About This Work
The Frugal Repast shows two figures seated at a sparsely set table: a bottle, two glasses, a plate, and a small piece of bread mark the scene with deliberate economy. The attenuated bodies and plain background heighten the emotional weight of their shared meal, connecting the etching’s compressed graphic language to the human subjects of Picasso’s Blue Period.
The National Gallery of Art identifies this impression as a 1904 work published in 1913 by Ambroise Vollard and printed by Louis Fort. Its own impression, accessioned 1971.87.13, is an etching on wove Van Gelder paper, 46.3 × 37.7 cm at the plate. This correction replaces a broad edition claim, unsupported auction data, and a public-domain image assertion with the direct holding-museum record and rights-aware source handling.
Current Location
National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, USA (an impression)
Public Collection — Open to visitors
Visit museum website →Valuation & Provenance
2026 Estimated Value
Market varies by impression
* Estimates are based on comparable auction results and market analysis. Not a formal appraisal.
Last Known Sale
No public auction record — held in permanent museum collection
Keywords
Continue Exploring
Related Artworks
Chosen for shared style, era, medium, subject, or date.
The Frugal Repast (etching)
1904 · same era · similar medium
The Old Guitarist
1903–1904 · same era · shared subjects
The Blind Man's Meal
1903 · same era · shared subjects
The Soup
1902–1903 · same era · shared subjects
Woman with a Crow
1904 · same era · shared subjects
The Frugal Meal, from The Saltimbanques
September 1904, printed and published 1913 · same era · similar medium
Shop Related Products
If you love this blue period masterpiece, explore these curated books and resources on Amazon.
Picasso: A Biography by John Richardson
Comprehensive biography exploring Picasso's life and artistic evolution
The Cubist Epoch by Douglas Cooper
In-depth analysis of Picasso's Cubist period and innovations
Blue Period Collection Prints
Set of prints featuring Picasso's melancholic Blue Period works
As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Each product link is unique to help us track which recommendations resonate most with our visitors.