Maya with boat 1938

Picasso painted Maya with boat, in oil on canvas and look at that palette! It’s kind of acidic; green, lavender, and orange. I love that he's not afraid to put those odd combinations together. Looking closely, you can see how the paint sits on the surface, slightly raised in some areas, creating a real sense of texture. This isn't about creating a smooth illusion; it’s about the materiality of paint itself. The way Picasso uses color here feels almost like building blocks. Notice the child's face, how it's divided into different colored planes that come together to form a cohesive whole. It's like he's showing us how we construct an image in our minds, piecing together fragments of information to create a recognizable form. This reminds me of Matisse, another master of color and form. Like Matisse, Picasso invites us to see the world in new and unexpected ways, embracing ambiguity over fixed meaning.