Bust of a Woman with Hand Raised (Buste de femme à la main levée) 1906

This is a woodcut print of a woman’s bust, made by Pablo Picasso. Look how the forms seem to emerge from the ground, how the hand comes out to meet us. I like to imagine Picasso working on this. The physicality of carving into the block. What kind of wood did he use? How did it feel in his hands? He’s reducing the image down to its barest essence. The process feels intuitive, like he’s feeling his way through the dark. See how the bold, dark lines contrast with the warm, textured paper? He’s using the negative space to define her face, her gesture. It’s like he’s wrestling with form, trying to capture something essential. It’s a testament to the ongoing conversation between artists across time. We see each other, are inspired by each other, and keep pushing forward, always.