1965 Portrait de jeune fille Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) Period of creation: 1962-1973

The composition presents a young girl rendered in a style characterized by simplified forms and bold color choices. She is positioned centrally within the frame, her posture suggesting a slight forward lean, as if engaged with something just beyond the viewers perspective. The background is a muted blue-green, providing a relatively neutral space against which the figure’s vibrant attire stands out.
The girl’s face displays an expression that is difficult to definitively interpret; it appears neither overtly joyful nor sorrowful, but rather contemplative or perhaps slightly melancholic. Her eyes are large and seemingly unblinking, contributing to this ambiguous emotional state. The artist has employed a limited palette for the facial features – pale skin tones contrasted with dark eyebrows and a thin, subtly downturned mouth. Small blue shapes adorn her ears, likely intended as representations of earrings or decorative elements.
The girl’s clothing is particularly striking. She wears what appears to be a dress constructed from thick, undulating lines in red and black, creating a sense of movement and texture. The fabric seems almost sculptural in its rendering. A dark object, possibly a basket or container, is held close to her body, partially obscured by the floral details that appear to sprout from it – stylized white blossoms against the darker tones.
Below the waist, the figure’s legs are depicted with oversized blue boots, adding an element of playful exaggeration and disrupting any sense of natural proportion. The boots size contrasts with the delicacy suggested in her facial expression and the floral elements she holds.
The overall effect is one of deliberate artifice. The flatness of the composition, the simplified forms, and the unusual color combinations contribute to a dreamlike or theatrical quality. Subtexts might include an exploration of childhood innocence viewed through a lens of adult observation, or perhaps a commentary on societal expectations placed upon young girls – the elaborate dress juxtaposed with the oversized boots suggesting both adornment and constraint. The ambiguous expression invites speculation about the girl’s inner world, hinting at complexities beyond a simple portrayal of youthful exuberance.