Francis Picabia Mid-Lent Print

The Painting That Refused to Play by the Rules 🎭🎨

Created during one of the most fascinating periods of Picabia's career, Mid-Lent represents the artist's deliberate rejection of both academic painting and rigid modernist movements. After pioneering machinist Dada works, Picabia shocked the art world by returning to figuration with a series of grotesque, carnival-themed paintings that critics called "deliberately ugly" (and he meant them to be).

The canvas depicts two costumed carnival figures rendered in Picabia's signature style: mask-like faces built from high-contrast patches, theatrical makeup, and aggressive brushwork. Vibrant streamers in acidic greens and pinks cut across a muted grey ground, creating a visual cacophony that feels both celebratory and unsettling. This is carnival as social satire, performance as provocation.

Did you know? Picabia used Ripolin, an industrial enamel paint typically reserved for household use, mixed with oil. This unconventional choice gave his work a flat, modern surface that anticipated post-war experimental painting by decades. He was essentially using the materials you'd paint a bathtub with to create fine art!

🎨 Why Choose This Art Print?
This isn’t just any reproduction. Our fine art posters use cutting-edge giclée fine art 12-colour printing technology to ensure every subtle hue is faithfully rendered. The smooth matte finish on FSC-certified paper keeps your art print glare-free and eco-friendly, perfect for collectors who care about sustainability and quality alike. What's more, ART SNOB prints every image at over 350 dpi, ensuring ultra-sharp clarity and incredible definition that truly stands out.

🌿 Key Features of Our Fine Art Posters:

• Vivid Colour: 12-colour giclée printing for museum-quality tones.

• Eco-Friendly: FSC-certified, sustainably sourced paper.

• Smooth Matte Finish: Minimal glare for a clean, gallery-like presentation.

• Customisable Sizes: Fits any frame or space.