Portrait of Jacqueline with Glossy Hair 1962

This portrait of Jacqueline with glossy hair by Picasso—we don’t know when it was made or what it’s made from but my hunch is it was born from bold confidence! I can imagine Picasso in his studio, a hive of creative energy, charcoal stick in hand, circling Jacqueline, each line an attempt to capture her essence. There’s a red mass on the left, countered by a blue shape on the right, and an unexpected yellow circle floating below. It's like he’s building her face from geometric puzzles, a process of deconstruction and reconstruction that feels both playful and profound. The black lines seem so sure of themselves! They weave in and around the coloured areas, like the bold outlines in Matisse’s cut-outs. What was he thinking as he slashed those black strokes across the canvas? Was he trying to capture her beauty, or his idea of her? Maybe both. Artists are always talking to one another, even across time. In the end, it’s up to us to bring our own stories to these beautiful, ambiguous paintings.