Musketeer 1970

Picasso painted this Musketeer in 1970, with bold strokes of oil on canvas, just a few years before his death. Look at the way he builds up the face with these gestural lines, almost like he's sculpting with paint. Up close, you can see how the colors are layered, thick in some spots and thinner in others. The red and yellow stripes of the costume are particularly striking; they vibrate with energy. It's as if Picasso is revealing the raw, physical act of painting. I am drawn to the way the whites seem to sit on top of the other colours like a mask or screen. You can really see Picasso riffing on art history here, playing with ideas from the old masters, but with this very modern sense of freedom and playfulness. It makes me think of Francis Picabia, an artist who, like Picasso, was constantly reinventing himself, challenging what painting could be. Ultimately, it's about the ongoing conversation between artists across time, and how each one adds their voice to the mix.