The artwork, titled “Minotaur and woman behind a curtain,” is a creation by the renowned artist Pablo Picasso, completed in 1933. This etching on paper forms part of a sequence known as the Vollard Suite, which is a collection of 100 prints created by Picasso. The piece is imbued with the characteristics of the Expressionism and Surrealism art movements and falls within the mythological painting genre.
The artwork portrays a juxtaposition of two figures: a minotaur and a reclining woman who appears to be sleeping behind a patterned curtain. The minotaur is depicted peering through the curtain, suggesting a contemplative or longing gaze towards the woman. Both figures are rendered through expressive lines that convey movement and emotion, a hallmark of Picasso’s etching technique. The background features a tranquil landscape that contributes to the dreamlike quality of the scene, which is reflective of the Surrealist influences. The mythological subject of the minotaur, a creature with the body of a man and the head and tail of a bull, is a common theme in Picasso’s work, often symbolizing complex human emotions and the unconscious mind, an interpretation aligned with Surrealist thought.
