Calf worship 

Francis Picabia created this painting entitled "Calf Worship" using oil on canvas. At first glance, you are confronted with a large, almost grotesque calf's head set against a neutral background, immediately capturing your attention. The subject is adorned with a draped blue cloth, which adds a layer of ceremonial or ironic grandeur. The composition is structured around the contrast between the bovine figure and the reaching, supplicating hands below, which creates a visual tension. The artist's brushwork is loose and expressive, which gives the painting a sense of immediacy and rawness. There's a destabilization of values here, as Picabia challenges traditional notions of reverence and challenges us to confront the absurd. The painting functions as a commentary on the human tendency to idolize false figures, a theme that resonates beyond its immediate historical context. What are the idols of our time, and how do we blindly offer our devotion?