Profile of a young girl (Girl with red flower in her hair) 1901

This portrait of a girl with a red flower in her hair was painted by Pablo Picasso. The colours are warm and applied with loose brushstrokes. Up close, you can almost feel the energy of Picasso’s hand as he layered the paint. The impasto is thick in places. Look at the flower in her hair – a mass of clotted pigment, like he was building up the flower with daubs of paint. It’s all about the physicality of the medium. And notice how the colours vibrate against each other – the greens and yellows against the reds and oranges. It’s not just a picture, it’s an experience. It reminds me a little of Van Gogh’s portraits, where the paint becomes almost sculptural. Both artists were interested in pushing the boundaries of representation. The painting shows us art is always a conversation, a dance between what we see and how we feel.