The artwork entitled “Nana” is a creation by the illustrious artist Pablo Picasso, dating back to the year 1901. Fashioned using oil on cardboard, this piece stands as a testament to Picasso’s engagement with the Post-Impressionist movement. It is a portrait with dimensions measuring 104.5 by 61 centimeters. Currently, this masterpiece resides within the venerable walls of the Musée Picasso in Paris, France.
In the artwork, we observe a figure, presumably a woman, portrayed with vibrant and expressive brushstrokes that contribute to the vivacity of the composition. The subject is positioned slightly off-center, leaning toward the viewer with her elbow resting gracefully on an unseen surface, and her hand supporting her chin. She is adorned in a red dress with hints of yellow and white that are in striking contrast to the surrounding environment, which is a kaleidoscope of colors suggesting a floral or garden backdrop. Her attire is further embellished by what appears to be a scarf or a choker around her neck and a decorative element in her hair adding a touch of complexity to her ensemble.
The face of the subject is rendered with a bold use of color, featuring pronounced red cheeks and lips, setting a stark contrast against her pale skin tone. The gaze of the figure is direct and engaging, inviting an intimate connection with the onlooker. Her hair, styled in an updo, enhances her dignified and provocative demeanor. With the use of thick, impasto brushstrokes and a rich color palette, Picasso imbues the work with emotional intensity as well as a textured physicality, revealing his mastery in depicting both form and psychological depth.
The Post-Impressionist movement, of which this artwork is part, highlights Picasso’s exploratory phase before transitioning into his signature Cubist style, which he co-founded. In “Nana,” one can see the influence of Post-Impressionism in the emphasis on abstraction and the expressive potential of color and form over the representational fidelity of the Impressionist precursors.
