The artwork “Portrait of Marie-Therese” was created by the renowned artist Pablo Picasso in 1937. Ascribed to the Surrealism movement, the piece is a portrait with dimensions of 46 x 33 cm. This particular work reflects Picasso’s unique approach to the traditional genre of portraiture, showcasing his interpretive and abstract style.
The artwork features a stylized depiction of a female subject, presumed to be Marie-Therese, a figure often represented in Picasso’s oeuvre. Characteristic of Picasso’s phase of work, the subject’s face is a fusion of both frontal and profile viewpoints, with contours and features sharply delineated in bold, black lines. The use of color is striking, with contrasting hues accentuating different aspects of the subject’s face and attire.
Notable is the use of blues, yellows, and whites to sculpt the visage and hair, while the background is rendered in a deep, almost abyssal black. The eyes gaze sideways, filled with a piercing blue that resonates against the paler tones of the skin and yellows of the hair, which is adorned with foliage or flowers. The lips, slashed with red, stand out vividly, enhancing the otherwise cool and restrained palette. The neck and upper clothing suggest a textural element that speaks to the physicality beneath the portrait’s surface.
This particular portrait exemplifies Picasso’s continuing exploration of unconventional beauty and form through the reimagining of the human figure, a hallmark of his artistic innovation during the early 20th century.
