Reclining Nude with wreath 1970

Here we see an image of a reclining nude with a wreath by Pablo Picasso. The colour palette is pared back to neutral shades, with earthy browns and a range of greys used to model the figure, but the mark making is not economical. Instead, the painting has been built up through layers of colour in a process of refinement. I can imagine the artist circling and moving, adding, scraping away, and returning over and over, shifting the composition, and playing with the figure. The image is a conversation between planes, with edges colliding as the figure is pulled apart and reassembled. The modelling and soft tonality make the shapes tender. It reminds me of the work of other painters, who use planes to build up a figure, such as Cezanne. But it is also so distinctly Picasso, who was always in dialogue with the great artists who came before him, borrowing and adapting their work. It is an ongoing exchange of ideas across time, inspiring creativity, and opening conversations about art, expression, and representation.