Woman with a Mandolin 1909

This is Picasso’s 'Woman with a Mandolin', made with oil on canvas. It's all about how he breaks down form, then builds it back up, better than before. Look at the colours, how they're not trying to be realistic. Instead, they suggest a feeling, a mood. It’s like Picasso is saying, "Here’s how I see the world, fractured, faceted, but still somehow whole." There’s a spot, just above her left hand on the instrument, where the paint looks thin, almost like a watercolor wash. Then, right next to it, a thick impasto describes the contours of her arm. Those shifts in texture aren't mistakes. They add depth, both literally and figuratively. You see this kind of playful analysis in the work of Braque and Gris too. It’s like they were all having a conversation, pushing each other to see what painting could really do. For them, like me, painting is this ongoing experiment, a constant questioning.