1945 TИte de jeune fille aux cheveux longs II Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) Period of creation: 1943-1961

The etching presents a portrait of a young woman, rendered in stark monochrome. The composition is tightly cropped, focusing solely on the head and upper shoulders of the subject. Here we see a deliberate simplification of form; features are reduced to essential planes and lines, creating an effect of stylized abstraction.
The face itself is characterized by large, almond-shaped eyes that dominate the expression. They convey a sense of quiet introspection or perhaps melancholy. The nose is rendered as a sharp, angular wedge, while the mouth is small and subtly downturned. A prominent vertical line bisects the face, emphasizing its geometric structure and contributing to an overall feeling of detachment.
The hair is depicted with dense, swirling lines that create volume and movement around the head. It cascades down in thick strands, partially obscuring the shoulders and adding a sense of weightiness to the composition. The texture of the etching technique itself – the visible grain and variations in ink density – adds another layer of visual interest, suggesting a raw, immediate quality.
The artist’s use of light and shadow is crucial to the works impact. Strong contrasts define the planes of the face and hair, creating depth and highlighting certain features while leaving others in relative obscurity. This interplay of light and dark contributes to an atmosphere of ambiguity and emotional complexity.
Subtly, there is a sense of fragility conveyed through the delicate lines and simplified forms. The subject’s gaze seems directed inward, suggesting a private world of thought or feeling. While the work lacks overt narrative elements, it evokes a mood of quiet contemplation and perhaps even a subtle undercurrent of sadness – a sentiment that might resonate with the historical context of its creation, marked by upheaval and loss.