Picasso's First Constructed Sculpture: A Tale of Two Guitars.

The article discusses "Guitar," a constructed-paper sculpture made by the artist Pablo Picasso in 1912. It is argued that the paper "Guitar" should be seen as the inaugural work of modern sculpture. The work's relationship to its sequel, the sheet-metal "Guitar" made by Picasso in 1914, is discussed. The author explores how the earlier work is related to contemporary collages and constructions and how it became a conceptual model for subsequent works. The author also suggests that the de-skilled technique used by the artist in the creation of "Guitar" allows the work to reflect on contemporary labor conditions.