Jeanne (Reclining nude) 1901

'Jeanne (Reclining nude)' is an oil on canvas artwork by Pablo Picasso. Picasso lays down these strokes with an energy that feels restless, urgent! Like a constant, probing gaze, the green and blue hues dominate, while Jeanne's nude form feels almost incidental, her skin barely registering against the intensity of the background. Imagine Picasso, circling around the canvas, unsure, searching. The paint is thick, juicy – you can almost feel the bristles of the brush as he stabs and smears the colors together. See how the lines around Jeanne blur; it is like he’s less interested in the woman herself and more intrigued by the act of seeing, the process of translation. The arm raised above her head feels vulnerable, exposed, a gesture caught in time. Picasso was a master of reinvention, of course. As painters, we’re all standing on each other’s shoulders. He's in conversation with generations of artists who've tried to capture the human form. Painting is about this struggle, this beautiful, messy attempt to make sense of the world.