Woman by the dresser 1936

Pablo Picasso made this painting, Woman by the dresser, with oil on canvas. Look at the way he attacks the canvas with such energy and confidence! It’s like he's wrestling with the paint, trying to pin down all these wild ideas. The colours are so alive, aren't they? How he pulls a limited palette into new shapes, not mixed too thoroughly, but instead placed next to each other to create surprising optical effects. It's especially obvious on her face: the black lines are so bold, they almost vibrate against the soft lavender. And the texture is amazing too! You can almost feel the strokes he’s making. The composition is so cool and unusual too, there's an almost uncanny geometry to it. The way he juxtaposes different shapes and patterns is a bit like what Juan Gris was doing around the same time, but Picasso’s approach feels more raw and immediate, whereas Gris is more composed, and maybe a little less energetic. It really opens up a space of playful possibilities.