Bullfight 1934

Picasso made this painting, called Bullfight, without a specific date, using oil on canvas. The colors here are raw and simple, like in a child's drawing. See how the ochre ground bleeds into the forms, creating a sense of immediacy. There are thin layers of paint, with the texture of the canvas peeking through, reminding us of the physicality of painting, that this isn’t an image, but an object. Look at the orange head of the bull; it’s like a caricature, almost humorous, yet unsettling. This splash of playful color is set against the dark mass of the bull, heightening the tension. And the lines! They're angular and sharp, filled with an emotional tension. I see echoes of Matisse in Picasso’s bold simplification of forms, that same confidence in a line to define a shape. Like Matisse, Picasso knew that painting is not just about representation, but about feeling, about distilling the essence of a thing.