The artwork “Composition with Skull” is an oil on canvas by the renowned artist Pablo Picasso, dated 1908. It measures 116 x 89 cm and is characterized as part of the Cubist movement. The piece belongs to the vanitas genre, which traditionally includes themes that remind viewers of the transience of life, the futility of pleasure, and the certainty of death.
In this Cubist composition, Picasso deconstructs the subject matter to a point where the objects are recognizable yet seem to be in a fragmented and abstract space. The central figure in the artwork is a skull, an unmistakable symbol of mortality commonly found in vanitas artworks. The skull is surrounded by other elements that could be interpreted as everyday objects, possibly including books or musical instruments, further emphasizing the transient nature of worldly pursuits compared to the inevitability of mortality. The use of bold, contrasting colors and sharp geometric forms is distinctive of Picasso’s style during his Cubist phase. Shades of brown, red, blue, and ochre dominate the canvas, contributing to a feeling of depth and dynamism despite the non-traditional portrayal of perspective.
