Introduction
Pablo Picasso’s name is known even to people who are not interested in art, whether traditional or modern. His works are recognized worldwide, and the debates surrounding numerous creations are still ongoing. This can be said of Les Demoiselles d’Avignon, one of the paintings which Picasso painted during his early years. The name of this work translates to “The women of Avignon,” and it depicts five women – naked prostitutes –in a primitive and aggressive technique. The history of this painting expands beyond its reveal in 1907, both to the past, where Picasso came up with the idea and to the future, as it is still a puzzling work for many. Today, looking at Les Demoiselles d’Avignon, I cannot deny the variety of negative and positive emotions that this painting produces. It is undoubtedly one of the most intriguing paintings by Picasso, although its composition and subject are simplistic. The present essay explores the different aspects of Les Demoiselles d’Avignon, including Picasso’s desire to deny the then-existing norms, his role in the development of cubism, and the colors used in the painting.
Social Context
From the first moment of looking at the painting, Les Demoiselles d’Avignon attracts one’s attention. The work is striking – it is aggressive, raw, and mysterious. The feeling of comfort often inspired by art is completely absent when observing this painting. In contrast, it awakes a sense of being too close to the subjects of the painting. The women stare at the audience, and their bodies seem to take up the entirety of the large canvas. This could have been Picasso’s intention – to create a work of art so scandalous and unthought-of that the observer could not look away. The artist painted Les Demoiselles d’Avignon relatively early in his career, in 1907 (Picasso). At that time, he was a 25-year-old man who lived in France and worked alongside other painters, sculptors, and artists (“Les Demoiselles d’Avignon”). He became interested in styles and techniques that rejected the norms of proportion, color, and expression and studied other cultures to see their view of the world deeply. One of these fascinations was primitive art and the cultures of Africa and the Iberian Peninsula – the location of present-day Portugal and Spain (“Les Demoiselles d’Avignon”). Although Picasso lived in France, he was born in Spain, and it is clear that the influence of this historical location impacted his cultural interests. The fascination with foreign and ancient cultures shows in Les Demoiselles d’Avignon – the women’s faces resemble masks more than natural expressions. Almond-shaped eyes are placed asymmetrically, their large noses are turned to the side, and their mouths are reduced to a single line. In addition, some of the faces differ in color, which will be discussed in more detail later. Exploring the culture, it can be assumed that Picasso was inspired by African masks, one of the staples of regional art.
Artistic Technique
Apart from the painting’s subject, the technique used by Picasso further amplifies the feelings of unease and confrontation. In 1907, Picasso became interested in cubism and primitivism, styles that aimed to break down the limits of proportion and norm. Les Demoiselles d’Avignon is a clear example of a primitivist work, and its brashness is a statement for freedom in art. First of all, Picasso paints the silhouettes of women rather than their realistic proportions on the canvas. The bodies are angular, and the main shapes and scarce lines only indicate the poses in which the women stand or sit. Picasso uses a range of figures – some of them are circular, but the majority are sharp, including rectangles and triangles. For example, the woman in the top-right is the least realistic, and her body is composed of several differently shaped rectangles. Their faces are also extremely asymmetrical and disproportionate. The woman on the left is seen from her side, and her eye is the same shape as the one depicted from the front (Picasso). However, the two women on the right have the most simplified features. These faces have been inspired by masks, and it feels as though the women are actually wearing them. The noses, eyes, and mouths look completely artificial and differ from the three other faces on the canvas. Another feature of primitivist and cubist art is the lack of perspective and differentiation between people, objects, and backgrounds. The women appear to be surrounded by an assortment of colorful fabrics, but the latter are draped as if they are completely stiff. There are no distinct signs of perspective in the painting; the women stand in one line as if they do not occupy any three-dimensional space.
Colors
The painting also has an interesting combination of colors despite its simple premise. The central focus of Les Demoiselles d’Avignon is the five naked women. Their skin color differs somewhat from one woman to another, but they are all rather pale. Picasso uses pink, beige, and light brown as the primary shades to create the women’s skin, hair, and facial features. Notably, the three women on the left have almost no shadows on their faces and only slight differences in the colors of their arms, torsos, and legs. Nevertheless, the two women placed on the right have distinctively different shades on their faces, further strengthening the idea that they are wearing masks. The sitting woman wears a brown mask with features colored bright blue, and the woman’s face at the far right is grey with green highlights. Here, the shadows of the noses are extreme and colorful. The abundance of colors is striking here, and the question of why these particular subjects have differently colored faces arises. The background of the painting is presented in three major colors – red, grey, and blue. The curtains are colored in flat angular shapes, although the blue curtain is comprised of forms that are not colored completely. It is possible that this technique was used to depict a shiny fabric while the other curtains were matte. Overall, the limited palette used for the background does not distract from women’s bodies – the main subject of the painting.
Conclusion
Picasso’s paintings are famous for being bold and using various approaches and styles to challenge the viewer and art as a whole. Les Demoiselles d’Avignon can be considered an early work of the artist, and it is his attempt at primitivism and cubism in its nascent stages. The painting is expressive and unsettling – rough, sharp shapes appear aggressive and confrontational. This mood is further enhanced by the women’s facial features and poses. Simplistic coloring and the lack of perspective are distinctive features of primitivism. At the same time, the use of triangles, rectangles, and semicircles as the main shapes to form all objects on the canvas is an example of cubism. Overall, this painting raises many questions about the limits and goals of modern art.
Works Cited
“Les Demoiselles d’Avignon.”MoMALearning.
Picasso, Pablo. “Les Demoiselles d’Avignon,”MoMA.