Seated Woman in a Red Armchair 1931

Here's the audio guide script: Picasso made "Seated Woman in a Red Armchair" with oil on canvas, a medium that allows for real flexibility in terms of layering and texture. The colours are bold but flattened, each shade is distinct, like pieces in a jigsaw. The paint feels deliberately applied, each brushstroke like a decision being made right in front of you. Take a close look at the woman’s face. It's both there and not there, right? That simple, almost childlike line drawing against the blocky shapes of her body really messes with your sense of space. You could say Picasso’s showing us not just what he sees, but how he feels about seeing. I am reminded of Leger, who similarly abstracted the figure. But Picasso is different, he’s not just breaking things down, he’s putting them back together in a way that challenges our perception. And that, for me, is where the magic happens.