Nature morte; Tête de taureau 1939

This is a Cubist still life made by Picasso probably in his studio in Paris with oil on canvas. It’s all angular and geometric, right? I love the color palette here, too. It is restricted, you know, and that makes you look harder. I think it would have been a really interesting moment for Picasso, grappling with all the things around him. It feels very urgent, like he’s pushing hard against the limits of form. That black line of the tabletop is so strong! It's like a visual anchor, isn't it? I can imagine Picasso making that one bold stroke. Did he know what he was doing? Maybe yes, maybe no. But he does know how to make a painting. You know what this makes me think about? All the other painters through time, wrestling with similar problems, thinking and working and pushing things forward.