1934 Femme Е la bougie, combat entre le taureau et le cheval Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) Period of creation: 1931-1942

The artwork presents a complex and unsettling scene dominated by a struggle between two powerful animals: a bull and a horse. The composition is dense, employing a meticulous hatching technique that creates a textured surface and contributes to the overall sense of claustrophobia. A female figure, rendered in a stylized and somewhat fragmented manner, appears suspended above the conflict, seemingly observing or participating in it.
The bull, positioned centrally, exhibits an aggressive posture, its head lowered as if charging. The horse, depicted on the right side of the frame, rears up defensively, its body contorted in a display of tension and resistance. Their interaction is not straightforward; rather, it suggests a chaotic entanglement, a primal battle for dominance.
Above the animals, the female figure holds what appears to be a candle or torch, casting an ambiguous light upon the scene. Her presence introduces a layer of symbolic complexity. She could represent reason attempting to illuminate the irrationality of the conflict, or perhaps she embodies a passive witness to destructive forces. The stylized rendering of her form – the elongated limbs and simplified features – suggests a detachment from reality, elevating her to an allegorical status.
The background is filled with dense cross-hatching, obscuring any sense of depth or spatial context. This technique reinforces the feeling of confinement and intensifies the focus on the central struggle. The lack of clear perspective contributes to the dreamlike quality of the work, blurring the boundaries between reality and symbolism.
Subtexts within this piece seem to revolve around themes of conflict, power dynamics, and the role of observation or intervention in moments of turmoil. The bull and horse can be interpreted as representing opposing forces – perhaps instinct versus intellect, brute strength versus agility, or even masculine and feminine energies engaged in a perpetual struggle. The female figure’s presence adds another layer to this interpretation, suggesting that understanding or mediating these conflicts is a complex and potentially precarious endeavor. The candle she holds could symbolize hope or enlightenment, but its light also illuminates the brutality of the scene, offering no easy resolution.