Reclining woman 1932

This is a painting of a reclining woman by Picasso, and it's pure Picasso, right? The way he throws out the rule book and just goes for it. Look at that heavy outline, almost like stained glass, trapping the colours inside. And the colours themselves, so bold and unapologetic. It’s like he’s not trying to describe anything, just pushing paint around, seeing what happens. There's a real joy in that process, that kind of freedom. Notice the red patch on her back, so intense. It doesn’t really read as skin, but as pure, unadulterated colour. It’s this element of pure material and a disregard for conventional representation that really excites me. You can see a bit of Matisse here too, who was also a huge influence on Picasso, in the flatness and that decorative patterning. It's like they were bouncing ideas off each other, pushing the boundaries of what painting could be. It's this ongoing conversation across time.