Reading 1921

"Reading" by Pablo Picasso is a work made with pastel on paper, and it's all about the layering of color to build up the form. Looking closely, you can almost feel the texture of the pastel on the page, the way Picasso uses short, choppy strokes to create the contours of the woman's face. It's like he's sculpting with color, pushing and pulling the light to create depth and volume. And the color palette! Warm, earthy tones of red, brown, and ochre dominate, giving the piece a sense of intimacy and warmth. Notice the way he uses the red to create a halo effect around the figure, drawing your eye to her contemplative expression. The whole piece has this incredible tactile quality, as if you could reach out and touch the surface of the paper. Picasso was always pushing the boundaries of what painting could be, and "Reading" is a perfect example of that. It reminds me a little of Gauguin’s portraits, with their similar interest in flattening and simplifying the form. Ultimately it shows how all art is in conversation with what has come before.