The Large Pigeon (Le gros pigeon) 1947

This pigeon was made by Picasso on paper and ink and the marks are like dark feathery scribbles. Look at the way the pigeon’s body is built from these intense, confident strokes, and how the ink bleeds a little, giving it a soft, blurred edge. I can imagine Picasso hunched over a table, rapidly working, trying to capture the essence of the bird. The pressure, the rhythm, the sheer physicality of trying to bring an image to life… it’s all there in those marks. Each stroke feels urgent, decisive, and the ink seems to dance across the page, creating a sense of movement and life. The pigeon reminds me of some of Picasso’s other animal drawings, all those bulls and birds, full of energy and expressive lines. I think of other artists like Cy Twombly too. It’s like all these artists are having a conversation, passing ideas back and forth across time. Ultimately, this pigeon is not just a pigeon, but a symbol, a feeling, a way of seeing the world.