Portrait of Nusch Éluard 1937

Pablo Picasso painted this striking portrait of Nusch Éluard using oil on canvas. In occupied Paris during the Second World War, where this portrait was created, the politics of imagery were crucial, a silent but potent form of resistance. Picasso's portraits, especially those of women, often defied conventional beauty standards. This subversion was a subtle but meaningful act against the Nazi regime's imposed ideals. The portrait shows Nusch Éluard in a formal jacket, adorned with brooches depicting figures. The jacket and hat give a sense of bourgeois formality, but her face is split into contrasting blocks of color, and this reflects the fragmentation and disruption of wartime life, while challenging established artistic norms. Historians delve into the archives to uncover such narratives, examining letters, documents, and cultural ephemera. Through this kind of research, we come to understand that art's meaning is always shaped by its historical context, and that artists like Picasso engaged with the social realities of their time in complex and innovative ways.