Woman by the Sea

During his artistic career, Picasso took an interest in Classical Art, especially from the Hellenistic period (323–31 BCE). One particular sculpture that the artist admired was the Venus de Milo. Here, Picasso imitates the statue’s sculptural form on a two-dimensional surface through modeling the figure with light and shadow. Additionally, he has distorted the forms of the body, foreshortened the figure, and compressed the  space and depth of the painting as a whole. Her dark, wavy hair, serene expression, languid pose, and draped dress all reflect the Hellenistic Greek influence on Picasso, evident through several other works from his Classical Period.
SKU: 6768
Creator: Pablo Picasso
Date: 1922
Original Medium: oil on canvas
Original Size: 23 x 19 in.
Location: Minneapolis Institute of Arts
© Succession Picasso 2012