Portrait of Fernande Olivier in headscarves 1906

Here is Picasso’s rendering of Fernande Olivier in headscarves. It’s hard to say when it was made, but he’s used watercolor, and the pigment is very thin. You can see the brushstrokes moving across the paper, creating a sense of warmth. The sienna tones give Fernande a sun-kissed glow that feels casual but also intimate. I imagine Picasso trying to capture Fernande’s essence, focusing on her face and using the headscarf to frame her features. He might be thinking about the tradition of portraiture, but he is also pushing against it. The loose brushstrokes and unfinished quality create a sense of immediacy, like a snapshot of a moment in time. Painters are always in conversation with each other, and with the past. Picasso would have looked at the great masters like Cézanne, and van Gogh, but he was also looking for something new, a way to express the energy and dynamism of the modern world. This painting feels like a step in that direction, a moment of transition and experimentation that would lead to the birth of Cubism.