1965 TИte de femme 2 Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) Period of creation: 1962-1973

The drawing presents a fragmented female portrait executed in pencil on what appears to be a page from a sketchbook. The composition is dominated by a frontal view of a woman whose features are distorted and rearranged, characteristic of a Cubist approach. The face is not rendered realistically; instead, it’s constructed from angular planes and overlapping lines that disrupt conventional notions of beauty and proportion.
The eyes are large and prominent, positioned slightly off-center and conveying an intensity or perhaps anxiety. The nose is reduced to a series of sharp angles, while the mouth appears as a narrow slit, contributing to a sense of emotional restraint or even melancholy. Hair is suggested by swirling, curvilinear lines that frame the face, creating a halo-like effect but also adding to the overall feeling of disorientation.
The artist has employed a limited tonal range, relying primarily on variations in line weight and density to create depth and volume. The sketch appears hastily executed, with visible traces of the drawing process – faint guidelines and overlapping strokes – which lend it an immediacy and spontaneity. A portion of the woman’s hand is depicted at the lower right corner, rendered with similar angularity as the face.
Inscribed in the upper left corner are notations including a date (29.9.65) and what appears to be a signature or initials (“XV Nimes”). These markings provide contextual information about the work’s creation and potentially its provenance.
Subtextually, the drawing seems to explore themes of identity and perception. The fragmentation of the face suggests a breakdown of conventional representations of femininity, perhaps questioning societal expectations or psychological states. The intense gaze and restrained expression hint at an underlying emotional complexity that transcends superficial appearances. The sketch’s intimate format – a page from a sketchbook – implies a personal exploration, a private moment of artistic inquiry rather than a formal presentation.