Studio 1927

Here we have Picasso’s ‘Studio’, made with oil on canvas, though when, exactly, is anyone’s guess, really. I find his paintings so interesting because of the way he simplifies form, breaking things down into their most essential shapes and colors. You can see it’s not about illusion, but about inventing a new kind of picture-space. There’s a playfulness in the materiality here, a flatness that almost feels like collage, even though it’s painted. The textures are smooth, the colors bold and declarative, and the layering creates a shallow depth that keeps you right up front. I keep coming back to the way he renders the figures, like geometric puzzles, but still so human. And look at that little green circle inside the triangle – such a small detail, but it animates the whole composition! It’s like he's winking at us. This makes me think about the work of Stuart Davis, actually, another artist who was really good at building up a world of shape, color, and language. I think it shows that art is a conversation that’s always evolving, always questioning what a picture can be.