1965 Femme nue assise dans un fauteuil 1 Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) Period of creation: 1962-1973

The composition presents a seated female figure rendered in a fragmented and abstracted style. Here we observe a deliberate dismantling of traditional representational forms, with facial features displaced and reconfigured across planes. The subjects face is bisected vertically, one side depicted in darker tones while the other displays lighter hues, creating an unsettling duality. A single, prominent eye dominates the left portion of her face, conveying a sense of intense scrutiny or perhaps vulnerability.
The figure’s body is similarly deconstructed; the torso appears flattened and angular, with areas of blue and green dominating the palette. The breasts are suggested through simplified shapes, lacking any realistic anatomical detail. A chair, indicated by vertical lines and geometric forms, provides a minimal framework for her posture, yet its presence feels more symbolic than functional.
The artist employed a limited color range – primarily blues, greens, blacks, and creams – applied with broad, visible brushstrokes that contribute to the work’s overall sense of dynamism and instability. The background is loosely defined, consisting of muted tones that allow the figure to remain the focal point while simultaneously suggesting an ambiguous spatial context.
Subtly embedded within the composition are elements that invite deeper interpretation. The disjointed nature of the form could be read as a commentary on the fragmentation of identity or the subjective experience of perception. The stark contrast between light and dark may allude to opposing forces, internal conflicts, or the complexities inherent in human psychology. The figures gaze, directed outward yet seemingly detached, hints at an emotional distance or perhaps a critical observation of the world around her. Ultimately, the work resists easy categorization, prompting viewers to engage with its ambiguities and construct their own meanings from its fractured imagery.