Seated female nude 1903

This is an undated pastel drawing of a seated nude female figure, by Pablo Picasso. The seemingly simple choice of pastel as a medium already suggests an important shift. While traditionally, nude studies were executed in the more established medium of oil paint, Picasso favored a humble material more closely associated with the sketch. The immediacy of pastel allowed him to capture the ephemeral qualities of light and shadow on the model's body, and also offers insight into his process. You can almost feel Picasso’s hand moving across the paper, building up layers of color with each stroke. The textures and tones feel immediate and intimate, not idealized. This contrasts with the classical nudes of the past, which were often highly polished and designed to evoke the perfection of the human form. Ultimately, the work’s significance lies in the way it elevates the everyday, and celebrates the process of creation. Picasso elevates the status of more humble materials and techniques, challenging the traditional hierarchy of art and craft, and inviting us to see the beauty in the raw and the unfinished.