1937 Portrait de Lee Miller Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) Period of creation: 1931-1942

The composition presents a fragmented portrait set against a warm, coral-pink background. The figures face is rendered in a striking yellow hue, sharply contrasting with the surrounding tones. Here we see two eyes, one positioned conventionally while the other appears displaced and angled upwards, creating an unsettling asymmetry that disrupts conventional notions of perception. A thin mustache sits above a small, enigmatic smile, contributing to an overall impression of detached amusement or ironic observation.
The head is framed by stylized green hair, painted with broad strokes that suggest volume and texture. The figure’s shoulders are enveloped in a complex arrangement of shapes – white, brown, and blue planes intersect and overlap, creating a sense of constriction or enclosure. A dark, triangular form dominates the central area of the chest, intersected by a network of thin, blue lines which appear to mimic anatomical structures or perhaps represent an abstract diagram.
The artist’s use of color is deliberate and expressive; the vibrant yellow draws immediate attention while the pink background provides a contrasting warmth that simultaneously softens and intensifies the figures presence. The flattened perspective and fractured forms deny any illusionistic depth, emphasizing instead the two-dimensionality of the canvas.
Subtly, there’s an element of psychological complexity at play. The disjointed features and unusual positioning of the eyes suggest a deliberate disruption of identity or perhaps a commentary on the fragmented nature of modern experience. The figures ambiguous expression – part amusement, part detachment – invites multiple interpretations. It could be read as a portrait of someone observing the world with a critical eye, or even as an exploration of the artist’s own perception and representation. The overall effect is one of controlled distortion, where recognizable human features are reconfigured to convey something beyond mere likeness – a sense of interiority, perhaps, or a questioning of established norms.