Dying bull 1934

Pablo Picasso painted this dying bull with oil on wood, and the urgent brushstrokes reveal a process of struggle. The palette here is earthy yet unsettling, with the pinks and blues feeling almost bruised against the greens and browns of the bull's tormented body. The physicality of the medium is key; you can almost feel the raw energy Picasso poured into each stroke. Notice the thick, dark outlines defining the bull's form, how they seem to trap and contain the animal's agony. Then look at the eyes, wide and wild, seemingly bulging with pain, surrounded by frenzied marks that amplify its suffering. It’s in these details that the emotional weight of the piece resides. Picasso often returned to the bull as a symbol, but in this early work, the rawness and vulnerability feel particularly acute, calling to mind Goya’s Disasters of War, and the history of artists who were not afraid to stare into the face of violence.