The artwork “Portrait of Marie-Thérèse Walter with garland” is a creation by the eminent artist Pablo Picasso, completed in the year 1937. The medium used by Picasso is oil on canvas, and the piece measures 61 by 46 centimeters. The artwork is executed in the style of Surrealism, which is characterized by an element of surprise, unexpected juxtapositions, and non sequitur; however, it’s important to note that Picasso’s work was also heavily influenced by other movements such as Cubism. This particular painting belongs to the genre of portraiture and features Marie-Thérèse Walter, one of Picasso’s most famous muses.
The artwork depicts a stylized portrayal of Marie-Thérèse Walter’s face and shoulders adorned with a garland. With a palette that leans towards pastel hues, the subject’s facial features are rendered with the distinctive flattened and fragmented perspectives commonly associated with Picasso’s work. The subject’s gaze is both direct and enigmatic, engaging the viewer with eyes that appear to be symbolically crafted—reflecting perhaps the complex nature of her relationship with the artist and the surreal rigor of the time. The presence of the garland in her hair adds a classical or pastoral feel to the portrait, which contrasts with the modernist techniques employed. The elegance and simplicity of the lines, along with the use of light and shadow, imbue the portrait with a sense of depth and dimension that belies the flattening of form typical to Picasso’s stylistic choices.
