1902, Pablo Picasso, Crouching Woman -- Phillips Collection (Washington) (special exhibition)
From the special exhibition label: In 1902, Picasso experimented with different ways to elicit empathy through his representations of downtrodden women. In Crouching Woman, Picasso wraps the head of this figure in a white shawl, referencing nuns and the Virgin Mary. Through her hands gestures, he places her in an art-historical tradition of meditative thinkers. This figure is rendered as compact and closed in, deep in thought—much like Picasso’s first sculpture, Seated Woman. The intense mood and visual remoteness of both subjects push the viewer away, requiring us to be patient and empathetic to gain access.
1902, Pablo Picasso, Crouching Woman -- Phillips Collection (Washington) (special exhibition)
From the special exhibition label: In 1902, Picasso experimented with different ways to elicit empathy through his representations of downtrodden women. In Crouching Woman, Picasso wraps the head of this figure in a white shawl, referencing nuns and the Virgin Mary. Through her hands gestures, he places her in an art-historical tradition of meditative thinkers. This figure is rendered as compact and closed in, deep in thought—much like Picasso’s first sculpture, Seated Woman. The intense mood and visual remoteness of both subjects push the viewer away, requiring us to be patient and empathetic to gain access.