Homme à l’épée 1969

This is Picasso's "Homme à l’épée," or "Man with a Sword," and it's like the artist is wrestling with the paint right in front of you. The colours—reds, yellows, blacks—they're not just sitting pretty; they're fighting for space. Picasso’s process is laid bare: you can see the tracks of his brushstrokes, the way he layers and scrapes. The paint is thick, almost sculptural in places, building up to this intense figure. The way that hand is rendered—those fingers splayed out, with those elegant manicured nails— it's so direct, so confident, yet slightly awkward. It’s like he's reaching out, pulling us into the painting. This piece reminds me of some of Guston's later work. Both share this quality of directness, of not being afraid to be messy and raw. Art isn’t about answers, it’s about the ongoing process of seeing and questioning.