The artwork titled “Woman with chignon” is a creation of the eminent artist Pablo Picasso, dated to the year 1901. Crafted with the medium of oil on canvas, this piece is an exemplar of the Expressionism art movement. It falls into the genre of portraiture and currently resides within the Fogg Museum, which is part of the Harvard Art Museums located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States.
In the portrayal rendered by Picasso, there is a woman seated with her elbows resting on a surface, presumably a table, and her hands supporting her face. The subject’s gaze is directed outwards, seemingly in a state of deep contemplation or sorrow. Characteristic of the Expressionist style, the painting conveys a strong emotional presence, emphasized by the striking use of color and dramatized features.
The use of a dark palette dominated by greens and yellows around the figure, coupled with the shadowed background, enhances the intimacy and intensity of the subject’s expression. Picasso’s bold strokes and the simplification of form serve to focus the viewer’s attention on the psychological state of the woman rather than on the realistic depiction of her physical attributes. This emphasis on expressing emotional depth is a hallmark of both the Expressionist movement and Picasso’s early Blue Period, during which he often explored themes of melancholy and isolation.
