“Bull (plate VI)” is a distinguished work created by Pablo Picasso in 1945, which falls under the art movement known as Cubism. This artwork is a lithograph on paper and is categorized as an animal painting. It is part of the series “Eleven developments of a lithograph,” wherein Picasso progressively abstracted the form of a bull. The artwork is housed at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City, NY, US.
The artwork reveals Picasso’s exploration of form and deconstruction typical of his Cubist style. The bull is abstracted into geometric shapes, capturing the essence of the animal through a series of fragmented planes and contours. The composition juxtaposes the natural curves of the bull’s anatomy with a reductive, structural interpretation. The stark contrasts and strong lines suggest a robust vitality and movement, a trademark agility and power inherent to the animal, distilled into a static, yet dynamic portrayal. This piece sits at a pivotal point within the series, showcasing Picasso’s unique ability to strip down an image to its most fundamental elements while maintaining its recognizable nature.
