Woman with braid 1971

Picasso made this painting, Woman with braid, with oil on canvas, though we don't know exactly when. Look at the way he builds up the image, not through blending or softening, but through decisive planes of colour and line, like a fractured mirror reflecting multiple viewpoints at once. The surface is alive with texture. You can almost feel the push and pull of Picasso's brush as he wrestled with form and space. Notice the way the light catches the edges of each stroke, creating a subtle dance of shadow and highlight. And see that daring line that defines the woman's profile, so bold and unwavering, yet so vulnerable in its simplicity? It speaks to Picasso's confidence, but also to his willingness to take risks and challenge conventions. It reminds me a little of some of the early portraits of Alice Neel. In the end, art isn't about answers, it's about questions, about the ongoing conversation between artists across time.