1907 Jeune garЗon nu (Nu aux bras levВs) Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) Period of creation: 1889-1907

The drawing presents a youthful male figure in a seated pose, his arms raised above his head. The subjects body is rendered with simplified forms and angular lines, characteristic of a nascent Cubist style. A muted palette dominates the composition: browns, blues, pinks, and greens are applied in broad strokes, creating planes rather than modeling volume.
The figure’s face exhibits an unsettling stillness; the eyes are large and somewhat vacant, contributing to a sense of detachment or introspection. The simplification of facial features reduces the subject to a collection of geometric shapes, diminishing individual personality and emphasizing a more archetypal representation of youth.
The background is equally fragmented, composed of intersecting planes that seem to enclose the figure rather than provide spatial context. These planes are not rendered with consistent perspective; they shift and overlap, creating a sense of instability and visual ambiguity. The color choices within these planes further contribute to this effect, preventing any clear reading of depth or location.
The raised arms suggest an act of vulnerability or supplication, yet the figure’s posture lacks dynamism. There is a tension between the implied gesture and the static rendering of the body. This juxtaposition could be interpreted as a commentary on innocence confronted with an undefined world, or perhaps a questioning of traditional representations of the human form.
The drawings overall effect is one of deliberate distortion and abstraction. The artist seems less interested in depicting realistic anatomy than in exploring the possibilities of representing the figure through geometric forms and fractured planes. There’s a sense of experimentation evident in the loose application of color and the unconventional arrangement of shapes, hinting at a radical departure from established artistic conventions.