1910, Pablo Picasso, Reclining Woman on a Sofa -- Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York)
From the museum label: When Picasso turned his attention to the commission, he opted to continue with his latest radical style of near-abstract imagery. These two paintings are the earliest extant and unaltered panels that Picasso executed for Field's library, indicating that the artist initially chose the human figure as his theme for the commission. The long and narrow formats were conducive to single-figure, non-narrative compositions-the artist's preferred motif during his Cubist period. The descriptive titles assigned to these paintings are necessary to identify them as female nudes. Picasso likely conceived of these works as a visual pair, as evidenced by their shared subject, formal structures, and limited but nuanced color palette. Close viewing reveals varied brushwork techniques and paint applications.
1910, Pablo Picasso, Reclining Woman on a Sofa -- Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York)
From the museum label: When Picasso turned his attention to the commission, he opted to continue with his latest radical style of near-abstract imagery. These two paintings are the earliest extant and unaltered panels that Picasso executed for Field's library, indicating that the artist initially chose the human figure as his theme for the commission. The long and narrow formats were conducive to single-figure, non-narrative compositions-the artist's preferred motif during his Cubist period. The descriptive titles assigned to these paintings are necessary to identify them as female nudes. Picasso likely conceived of these works as a visual pair, as evidenced by their shared subject, formal structures, and limited but nuanced color palette. Close viewing reveals varied brushwork techniques and paint applications.