Female acrobat 1930

Pablo Picasso made this painting of a Female Acrobat with paint, but the date is unknown. There’s such a strong feeling of movement in this painting. He's caught a figure in motion, her arms and legs thrown about, weightless almost. You can really see the paint, like he’s drawing with it, laying down these long strokes to define the edges of her body against the grey background. The black outline is important here; he uses it to flatten the image and make it bolder. The white paint of the body is opaque and textural, you can see the direction he’s brushed it on with real purpose. Notice the lines he uses to create the shape of the torso. It’s a kind of shorthand, and you almost feel him working, figuring it out, in real-time. It reminds me of some of Matisse’s cut-outs with its simple forms, and the way it captures an energetic performance with the bare minimum. It’s Picasso, so it’s about line, but it's also playful, and a bit cheeky. It makes you want to move!