Animal Trainer (1923) by Francis Picabia

Animal Trainer - Francis Picabia - 1923

Artwork Information

TitleAnimal Trainer
ArtistFrancis Picabia
Date1923
Art MovementDada
Current LocationGeorges Pompidou Center, Paris, France

About Animal Trainer

The artwork titled “Animal Trainer” by Francis Picabia, created in 1923, belongs to the Dada art movement and falls within the figurative genre. It is currently held at the Georges Pompidou Center in Paris, France. This piece of art encapsulates the spirit of Dada through its exploration of form and subject matter.

The artwork presents a stylized silhouette of a human figure, ostensibly an animal trainer, dominating the canvas. The figure is depicted with a pronounced, elongated profile and nose, and is rendered in a solid, dark color, contrasting starkly with the pale background. In the trainer’s hand is a whip, which extends upwards and curves in the space beside them. At the trainer’s feet, a group of animals, including a red dog, an orange monkey, and a dog with patches of red, along with a black animal—possibly a skunk or badger—is arrayed, all portrayed in flat blocks of color. On a perch beside the trainer rests a black and white owl, observing the scene. These elements together suggest a narrative of performance or control, befitting the title of the artwork. The use of flat shapes and unmodulated colors is typical of Picabia’s style in this period, drawing attention to the painting as an object and the process of its creation, rather than just to the represented subject. The composition reflects the Dadaist penchant for challenging traditional aesthetics and presenting scenes in a novel, often provocative manner.

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