The Aubade 1965

Picasso made this oil painting, called The Aubade, sometime without a known date, and what strikes me is its sheer physicality. Look at the way the colors are laid down, raw and immediate. He's not trying to hide the process; in fact, it feels like the whole point. The paint is thick in places, almost sculptural, and you can practically see the energy of his brushstrokes. Take the trumpeter, for example. His whole figure is a series of aggressive blues and greens. But it’s not just about the colors themselves; it’s how they’re applied. The lines are bold and broken, creating a sense of movement and sound. This piece reminds me of de Kooning's way of making, that beautiful struggle with the medium. Just like with de Kooning, it's not about perfection, but about the messy, human act of creation. And that, to me, is what makes it so compelling.