Dora Maar 1939

Picasso painted this portrait of Dora Maar using oil paints, and he wasn't shy about laying it on thick. You can almost feel the impasto, especially around her face where the blocks of white, gray, and pink clash. The way he builds up the surface, it’s like he’s sculpting her face rather than just painting it. And that red background—it's not just a backdrop. It feels like a mood, a feeling of tension or passion that's hard to ignore. Look at the way her eyes don't quite line up. Each eye seems to be looking in a slightly different direction, which gives you this sense of unease. Is she looking at us? Is she looking away? Picasso was always pushing the boundaries of what a portrait could be, much like his contemporary Francis Bacon. It's like he's saying, "Here's a person, but also an idea, a feeling, a question." And that’s what keeps us coming back for more, right?