Pigeon with Gray Background (Pigeon au fond gris) 1947

This is Pablo Picasso’s ‘Pigeon with Grey Background’, made in 1947, using lithography on paper. I love how Picasso captures the essence of the bird with these very simple marks. It’s almost like he’s building the pigeon out of pure energy, or maybe its memory. Look at the contrast between the feathery, delicate lines of the pigeon's body and the bold, aggressive strokes of the background. It's like two different worlds colliding on the same surface. The pigeon itself is a mass of swirling dots and dashes, a kind of controlled chaos that somehow comes together to create a sense of form and movement. Those strong strokes in the background? They kind of remind me of Franz Kline, but with a touch of tenderness. For me, this lithograph is about the way Picasso never settled into one way of seeing or making. He always kept things open, always kept questioning. Art is a conversation across time, and Picasso was one of its most brilliant participants, always riffing off the past while pushing towards the future.