Courtesan with necklace of gems 1901

Picasso painted this canvas portrait of a 'Courtesan with necklace of gems’ with oil paint around 1901-1902 in Spain. Here, Picasso offers us his vision of the female form during a time when Parisian society was rapidly changing. We might ask ourselves how the cultural status of women was perceived at the time, how that perception was formed, and what role was played by institutions such as museums and art schools? The art of portraiture always involves a complex negotiation between the social identity of the sitter, in this case a 'Courtesan', and the creative agency of the artist. Picasso seems to be asking us to consider the tensions between personal identity and social role. To fully appreciate this painting, it is helpful to examine related works by Picasso and his contemporaries, and the social and cultural context in which it was created. By examining these kinds of resources, we can better understand the social and institutional forces that have shaped Picasso’s art.