Pablo Picasso would not be the only mercurial, misogynistic, egotistic, super-salesman who chose art (or art chose him) as a means of locomotion, but he might well be the most successful of the 20th-century. For whatever combination of talent, connections, timing, self-assurance, charm, work ethic and ego, Picasso’s light shone brightly during his lifetime and shows little sign of dimming.

What’s happening at the Cincinnati Art museum is a 65 piece overview of Picasso’s work in prints and featuring one of the widest swathes, ranging from late-career prints to early etchings and lithographs. Spanning nearly 60 years, the scope of the exhibition allows the viewer to absorb in bite-sized doses what might otherwise produce indigestion. And there are some rarely shown gems to feast on.

Ambroise Vollard, responsible for financing the ‘Vollard Suite’, several prints of which are included here, and easily the most famous collection of twentieth-century prints, is given his due. The relationship between artist and patron is made clear in the comprehensive wall texts accompanying the prints.

The ‘Vollard’ classical period of Picasso’s work followed his experimental cubist dalliance, a temporary flirtation which heavily influenced everything to come. The work is dominated by etchings of Marie-Thérèse Walter, but also touches on the minotaur (symbol of Picasso’s virility and animal nature) and includes a number of portraits of Rembrandt, who was on Picasso’s mind during this time.