Woman with child on the seashore 1921

'Woman with Child on the Seashore' was painted by Pablo Picasso, though the exact date is unknown, and it's a pretty big piece. What strikes me here is the tenderness, right? A mother gazing at her child. But look at how Picasso builds up this image; it's almost sculptural. There's a real physicality to the paint, a density that gives the figures weight and presence, but at the same time, it's not trying to be realistic. The way he’s handled the flesh tones, using these muted, earthy colors, is particularly interesting to me. He’s not trying to hide the process but instead allows us to see each brushstroke as a decision, a step in building the form. I like how the line around her jaw and neck is so solid against the very soft cheek, it's a real contrast in styles in the same piece. It reminds me a little of Cezanne's obsession with form, how he would build up these landscapes and figures from discrete touches of color. Of course, Picasso takes it somewhere else entirely, injecting his unique blend of emotion and geometry into the mix. It’s all about that dance between representation and abstraction.