1937 Portrait de femme2 Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) Period of creation: 1931-1942

The composition presents a fragmented portrait of a woman, rendered in a style characterized by angularity and distortion. The subjects face is deconstructed into geometric planes, with features rearranged and presented from multiple perspectives simultaneously. We observe the eye on the left positioned high on the forehead, while the right eye appears lower and angled towards the viewer. This disjunction disrupts conventional notions of facial symmetry and realism.
The color palette is restrained, dominated by muted earth tones – ochres, browns, and creams – with accents of blue and red. The skin tone itself is rendered in a range of yellows and greens, contributing to an unsettling effect that moves away from naturalistic representation. A pale green blouse with a white bow collar frames the upper portion of the figure.
The hat, positioned atop the head, appears almost sculptural, its form echoing the geometric fragmentation seen elsewhere in the work. Dark, stylized hair cascades down one side, contrasting with the lighter tones of the face and hat. The lips are depicted as a bold, orange-red shape, suggesting an element of theatricality or perhaps even defiance.
The background is a flat, neutral beige, which serves to isolate the figure and intensify the focus on its fragmented features. This lack of spatial depth further contributes to the sense of disorientation.
Subtextually, the work seems to explore themes of identity and perception. The fractured representation suggests a questioning of conventional beauty standards and societal expectations placed upon women. It could be interpreted as an attempt to reveal the underlying structures that shape our understanding of the self, or perhaps even to express a sense of alienation and psychological complexity. The deliberate distortion and unconventional perspective challenge the viewers assumptions about portraiture and invite a deeper engagement with the subject’s inner world.