The artwork “Portrait of Woman (Dora Maar)” was created by the eminent artist Pablo Picasso in 1942. Employing oil on canvas as his medium, Picasso’s work falls within the realm of Surrealism, a movement known for its juxtaposition of dream-like fantasy with reality. This portrait, measuring 60.5 by 53.8 centimeters, is housed in the Folkwang Museum located in Essen, Germany. As a genre, the work is classified as a portrait, which traditionally is intended to depict the appearance or essence of an individual.
In the artwork, one observes the distinctive stylistic elements associated with Picasso, especially from his Surrealist period. The subject’s facial features are fragmented and abstracted, typical of Picasso’s Cubist influences. The portrait’s composition displays a bold assortment of geometric shapes and planes that defy conventional portraiture’s adherence to realism and proportion. The eyes are rendered as simple, almond-shaped forms on a sharply angled face, evoking a sense of introspection or contemplation. Meanwhile, the use of color further enhances the artwork’s emotive and surreal quality, with contrasting warm and cool tones creating a dynamic tension within the piece. Through these elements, the artwork captures an unconventional beauty and the complexity of human psyche, hallmarks of Picasso’s revolutionary approach to art.
