Lying female nude 1932

This is Picasso’s Lying Female Nude, a sketch, probably on paper, about 97 by 133 centimeters. The composition is a jumble of lines, a thicket of curves, and a wonderful example of how the act of artmaking can be a process of discovery. Look at how Picasso uses line to explore the form, not just to define it. See the way the lines intersect and overlap, creating a sense of depth and movement. Notice the circles used to describe the breasts; it feels almost mathematical, as if Picasso is trying to understand the underlying geometry of the body. The background feels almost like a spider's web, a cage, a net. The drawing feels like a snapshot of Picasso’s thought process, a record of his looking, thinking, and feeling. There's a restlessness to the work, a desire to push beyond the surface and delve into the hidden structures of the world. It reminds me of some of Philip Guston's later, more cartoonish works, where the subject is almost secondary to the act of drawing itself.