Young Girl in Profile, Crowned with Flowers (Jeune Fille de Profil Couronnée de Fleurs) 1944

This is Picasso's ink drawing, *Young Girl in Profile, Crowned with Flowers*, created sometime in his long life. Look how economical he is! With just a few lines, he captures a whole person, and not just any person, but a young girl adorned with a crown of flowers, no less. I can imagine Picasso, maybe in a Parisian café, quickly sketching this on a napkin. It's that kind of effortless mastery, you know? The line is so fluid, almost like he's thinking with the pen itself. See how he suggests the form of her face with just one unbroken stroke? It’s like he’s feeling his way around her features, mapping her out in real-time. I can almost see his brow furrow in concentration, then a little smile as he nails it. Artists like Picasso are in constant dialogue with those who came before and those who will follow, so, in a way, we’re all just riffing off each other, trying to make sense of the world one line, one mark, at a time. It's such a beautiful dance, don’t you think?