Seated Woman in a Red Armchair 1931

In this painting by Pablo Picasso, we see a seated woman constructed of layered shapes and colours: aubergine, scarlet and green. The paint is applied in flat planes, crisply delineating each form with an assuredness that comes from knowing exactly where you want to go. I can only imagine what it was like to be Picasso, to hold so much knowledge in your hands, and to have the chutzpah to follow through. To be the first, or one of the first, to break the rules of representation, freeing painting from its historical task of depicting reality as it appears. To deconstruct and rebuild the human form from the picture plane. The black square at the centre of the figure is such a brilliant touch, an anchor for the composition, providing depth and shadow within the flatness. It’s something I wish I’d thought of! It makes me think about Matisse. It's as though Picasso is working through an idea that Matisse started, taking it in an entirely new direction. It’s all a big conversation, really, isn’t it?