Sleeping nude 1904

Here's a Picasso, *Sleeping Nude*, done in brown ink, or maybe it’s a wash; it’s hard to tell, and without a date. I imagine Picasso, pen in hand, hovering over the paper. He's got this ochre ink, letting it bleed and stain, conjuring figures from the ether, like a psychic medium. On the left, the heavy, dark figure stands over the sleeping nude. The ink pools and drips, creating shadows and textures that define his presence. What's he thinking as he stands there? Is it just a casual voyeur, or something more? He’s a specter, and she’s dreaming... You know, the funny thing about Picasso is that, for all the deconstruction, he was a master of classical form. Artists are always in conversation, pulling from the past, pushing towards the future. What's certain is that this picture leaves a lot to our imagination. So maybe ambiguity is the real subject here.