1937 Portrait de femme Е la guirlande * Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) Period of creation: 1931-1942

The composition presents a frontal portrait of a young woman set against a muted blue background. The artist has rendered her features with a deliberate simplification; the face is characterized by large, almond-shaped eyes and a slightly elongated nose, conveying a sense of quiet introspection rather than overt emotion. Her lips are thin and delicately formed, contributing to an overall impression of restrained elegance.
The woman’s hair, depicted in shades of blonde and yellow, frames her face and cascades down her shoulders. A floral crown encircles her head, composed primarily of white blossoms with darker accents – a detail that introduces a symbolic layer to the work. The flowers suggest themes of innocence, beauty, and perhaps even a gentle celebration of youth.
She is clothed in a white garment, the neckline adorned with a series of vertically arranged colored buttons – green, red, orange, and yellow – that provide a subtle contrast against the starkness of the fabric. These small details inject a playful element into an otherwise formal portrait. The brushwork appears loose and expressive, particularly evident in the rendering of the clothing, where visible strokes contribute to a sense of texture and movement.
The subdued color palette reinforces the painting’s contemplative mood. The blue background creates a backdrop that allows the womans features and the floral crown to stand out, while also contributing to an atmosphere of quiet serenity. There is a deliberate lack of depth or perspective; the figure appears flattened against the plane of the canvas, emphasizing its two-dimensionality and drawing attention to the formal elements of composition and color.
Subtly, the work seems to explore themes of idealized beauty and feminine grace, while also hinting at an underlying melancholy through the restrained expression and muted tones. The floral crown, a traditional symbol of celebration, is presented in a context that suggests a more nuanced understanding of joy – one tempered by introspection and perhaps even a touch of sadness.