Woman by a Window 1956

Picasso painted this image of a woman by a window, we don’t know exactly when or with what, but it’s all part of the process isn't it? The gray and green color palette here, and the way the paint seems thinly applied, make me think of a kind of melancholic interior. Look at how the planes of her face are broken up, yet it still holds together as a portrait. You can see every brushstroke. It’s so raw and honest! And that one giant eye staring out at us – it’s unnerving but also captivating. I'm reminded of Matisse, who was a generation older. Both Matisse and Picasso embraced ambiguity, and you can see Picasso pushing the boundaries of representation, all while having a conversation with art history. It's not about fixed meanings, but about the ongoing exchange of ideas across time.