Profil au fond noir by Pablo Picasso presents a striking profile portrait rendered in bold black lithographic ink against cream paper, executed in an edition of fifty. The work depicts a woman's head in sharp profile, her features delineated with confident linear strokes that contrast dramatically against the dense black background. A white headscarf or veil frames her face, its flowing fabric captured through gestural marks that demonstrate Picasso's mastery of the lithographic medium.

Created in 1947, the work developed during a period of renewed optimism in Picasso's personal life following his relationship with Françoise Gilot, whom he had met three years earlier. This was a time when the artist was experimenting extensively with lithography at the Mourlot workshop in Paris, where master printer Fernand Mourlot encouraged his exploration of the medium's expressive possibilities. The stark tonal contrasts achievable through lithography particularly suited Picasso's aesthetic investigations of this period, allowing him to explore the interplay between positive and negative space with unprecedented directness.

The profile format recalls classical medallion portraits, yet Picasso's treatment subverts traditional representation through his bold approach. The woman's eye, rendered as a simple almond shape, gazes steadily to the right, whilst her nose and lips are articulated through economical but expressive lines.

The dense black background serves both compositional and symbolic purposes, creating a void against which the pale profile emerges with sculptural presence. This treatment reflects Picasso's ongoing dialogue with his earlier Blue and Rose periods, whilst employing the directness that would characterise much of his printmaking throughout the late 1940s. The lithographic medium allowed him to achieve these rich, velvety blacks whilst maintaining the spontaneous quality of his draughtsmanship.

Profil au fond noir exemplifies Picasso's ability to distil complex emotional and formal relationships into essential elements. The work's monochromatic palette intensifies the psychological weight of the portrait, whilst the profile view suggests both classical dignity and modern introspection. Through its bold contrasts and confident execution, the piece illustrates how Picasso transformed the intimate scale of portraiture into a statement of power, making Profil au fond noir a strong example of his lithographic achievements during this productive period.

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