Woman in blue 1902

This is Picasso’s Woman in blue, made at an unknown date and with unknown materials. I like to imagine Picasso in his studio mixing up the blues and reds, lost in the act of painting itself. The artwork feels like it emerged through a process of trial, error, and intuition, a shift from what he thought it was going to be. I sympathize with Picasso. What was he thinking as he made this? The paint looks pretty thin, washed over the surface to create this somber mood. I am drawn to the way he painted the hands, see how the marks communicate such a deep feeling? It reminds me a little of El Greco or maybe even some of the painters now, like Peter Doig. It’s all one big exchange of ideas across time, a way that artists inspire each other’s creativity. The work embraces ambiguity, allowing for multiple meanings. You can almost feel the gesture in the painting. It is quite moving, actually!