Nudes in Reverie 1920

Editor: Here we have Picasso's "Nudes in Reverie," a pen and ink drawing on paper from 1920. What strikes me most is its stark simplicity, almost like a classical frieze rendered in rapid, confident lines. What do you see in this piece that might expand upon that initial impression? Curator: Well, you've touched upon something crucial, that sense of classicism revisited. Picasso made this work during the interwar period, often called his "neoclassical" phase. How do you think his choice of subject matter--the female nude-- intersects with broader historical and cultural ideas around beauty and the female form in 1920s Europe? Editor: I hadn't considered that connection explicitly. Was he perhaps positioning himself within, or even against, that prevailing standard of beauty by presenting it in a Cubist style, or with a very clear outline style? Curator: Precisely. Consider also the political and social shifts happening after World War One. There’s a longing for order and a return to traditional values evident across society. Yet, artists are simultaneously grappling with new forms of expression, breaking down old systems. Does the "sketchbook drawing" aesthetic of this piece, despite the idealized subject, potentially undermine or support such values? Editor: I see what you mean! The seeming spontaneity contrasts with the careful construction we know is inherent in Picasso's Cubist approach. So, it is as though he were questioning both modern styles as well as previous traditional approaches in a single work! Curator: Yes, and think about how this was likely created for a small audience. A work like this exists between the personal and the public spheres of artmaking, right? Editor: Absolutely. That really helps contextualize it. Thanks! I'll definitely be considering those tensions between tradition and modernity going forward! Curator: And I will be rethinking the audience as influencing how this type of drawing gains meaning. Thank you.