Birds of a Feather 1920

This is Pablo Picasso’s painting "Birds of a Feather." The somber composition, rendered in shades of brown, red, purple and cream, features two birds arranged as if in a still life. One is brown, the other purple, both stylized with geometric patterns. The arrangement presents a fascinating play with form and space. Picasso destabilizes our conventional understanding of representation, prompting us to consider how signs and symbols operate. The artist experiments with abstract forms, breaking down traditional notions of perspective and representation. The painting’s surface is rendered in layered textures and tones; there are no smooth gradients or attempts at realism. Instead, Picasso offers a complex network of signs and symbols to be interpreted. This destabilization of established visual language encourages us to look beyond surface appearances, and engage with the painting's underlying structure and the meaning embedded within its forms.