Crucifixion (study) 1930

This is Pablo Picasso's "Crucifixion (study)," and it's all about lines, like a wire sculpture flattened onto paper. The marks feel urgent, searching—Picasso's hand trying to wrangle something profound. It’s a drawing, right? So, you’re dealing with the bare bones of form, the architecture without the decoration. Look at the horse and rider on the right, like a jagged jumble, the line is thick, like he’s really digging into the paper. The ladder on the left is so simple and clear. Then you see a series of crosses that appear to float above the figures, like a strange, minimalist crown. Picasso does what Philip Guston does later: he lets the subject matter rise to the surface. He embraces all the ambiguity in life, the beauty, the horror, the comedy.