Poet 1911

Pablo Picasso made this artwork called 'Poet' with oil on canvas. I'm looking at the greys, browns, and whites that make up this analytical cubist painting and I'm thinking, this is a painting about seeing. It's like Picasso is trying to show us all the different angles and facets of a poet at once. Imagine him, turning the subject in his mind, or maybe even physically, trying to capture every possible perspective. What does it feel like to be in his head? The textures are built up, layer upon layer, like thoughts piling on top of each other. Look at the way the lines intersect and create these geometric shapes – it’s almost architectural, as if Picasso is constructing a building out of pure thought. Painters, like poets, are always in conversation with each other, borrowing and riffing on ideas across time. The way Picasso breaks down form here reminds us of the ongoing quest to understand and represent the world in new and exciting ways.