Minotaur,drinker and women 1933

This is a Picasso, probably from the 30s, made using etching. The black and white palette is stark, which really lets you focus on the lines and shapes. It’s all about the process here – you can almost see Picasso scratching away at the plate, figuring it out as he goes. There’s a real physicality to the work, even without color. Look at the way the lines vary in thickness and density, creating different textures and depths. See how the shading of the Minotaur’s mane? It’s almost like he's creating a kind of a dark halo around its head. It’s pretty clear Picasso is using line to do all the work: to describe, to shade, and, of course, to create the emotional mood. Picasso's constant experimentation reminds me of de Kooning, always pushing the boundaries of what painting can be, always in dialogue with art history but forging their own path. This piece isn’t about perfection or representation; it's about exploration, about embracing the messy, ambiguous nature of art and life.