Femme nue 1907

Here we see Picasso's "Femme Nue", an oil painting from 1907. The bold, almost brutal application of paint immediately strikes us. The figure is composed of simplified forms and blocks of colour: yellows and blues dominate, punctuated by areas of red and green. The composition is organized around a central, vertical axis. Picasso destabilizes traditional representation by rendering the nude with a flattened perspective. There is a clear departure from naturalistic representation, challenging academic conventions. The sharp, angular lines and the mask-like treatment of the face suggest Picasso's interest in non-Western art, particularly African masks, which disrupted traditional notions of beauty and representation. Picasso used colour not to describe but to construct, giving the painting an emotional and symbolic power. It is this very tension between form and representation that makes the work a pivotal moment in the development of modern art.