Portrait of Jacqueline Roque with her hands crossed 1954

This painting, "Portrait of Jacqueline Roque with her hands crossed" by Pablo Picasso, presents a seated figure against a backdrop of vibrant colour blocks, constructed with simplified forms and stark lines. The colour is divided into planes to make it a geometric design, and the subject's form has been reduced to flat, angular shapes. Picasso has used the structure of Cubism to fragment the sitter, breaking down Jacqueline’s features into geometric components. The artist does not try to represent the subject with photorealistic accuracy. Instead, he presents her as an aggregate of shapes. The bold lines and flattened perspective challenge traditional notions of representation, destabilizing conventional portraiture. Ultimately, the painting's power lies in its bold assertion of form over realism, reflecting the complex, multifaceted nature of both the subject and artistic representation itself. This invites us to consider the limitations of visual language and the possibilities of creating new meanings.