The Bull (Le taureau) 1946

This is Picasso's "The Bull", a lithograph, which is a print made from a stone or metal plate. I think Picasso really understood artmaking as a process and this is evident in the way he constructed this image. Look at the surface, the physicality of the medium. The lack of color keeps the focus on the form. Each line feels so deliberate, economical even. The bull is pared down to its essence through the progressive simplification of its form. The bull's front legs are described with delicate lines, arched like a cat, a stark contrast to the robust, simplified lines of its body. This image is like a conversation. It makes me think of Matisse’s line drawings, where a simple contour is enough to suggest a whole world. Art is an ongoing exchange of ideas across time. In the end, this bull becomes more than just a bull. It embraces ambiguity, multiple interpretations, and that's what keeps us looking.