Femme assise dans un fauteuil noir 1962

This is one of Picasso's portraits, made with oil on canvas; it’s called "Femme assise dans un fauteuil noir". Look at the way the painting is built up through blocks of color, almost like a jigsaw. It is very process led, you can see how he made this, step by step. Picasso is using quite a muted palette, browns, greys, and blues; see how this gives the painting a kind of cool, reserved atmosphere. The paint application is fairly flat and opaque, with minimal blending. Instead, he relies on sharp contrasts between light and dark to create form. Focus on the subject’s face, you can see how he's playing with perspective, showing multiple viewpoints at once. The heavy black outline around her eye makes it pop. Picasso was always looking for new ways to represent reality, and this painting is a great example of his innovative approach. The portrait reminds me of the work of Francis Bacon, with its distorted figures and intense emotion. This painting leaves plenty of room for different interpretations.