Picasso, Les Demoiselles d'Avignon

Summary

In the Museum of Modern Art, the discussion centers on Picasso's 'Les Domoiselles d'Avignon,' a groundbreaking painting that marked a radical break from traditional European art. It's noted for its departure from linear perspective and chiaroscuro, and its confrontational portrayal of sexuality and the female nude. The painting is seen as the foundation of Cubism and a precursor to modern art's exploration of form and space, with influences from African masks and Iberian art. It also reflects the cultural context of colonialism and the search for a new visual language to express the early 20th century.

Takeaways

• 📝 The painting 'Les Demoiselles d'Avignon' by Pablo Picasso is located on the fifth floor of the Museum of Modern Art and is a significant work that broke with traditional European painting conventions.
• 👭🏾 Picasso, though Spanish, painted this piece while in Paris, signifying a shift in art and is considered a foundational work for Cubism.
• 👑 The title refers to a street in Barcelona known for prostitution, indicating the painting's subject matter.
• 📝 The painting is a departure from traditional representation, abandoning linear perspective and chiaroscuro, and introduces a new way of depicting the human form and space.
• 👒 It includes elements of confrontation and rawness, challenging the viewer with its depiction of sexuality and the female nude.
• 📚 Original sketches included male figures, such as a sailor and a medical student, which were later removed, altering the dynamic to a direct engagement with the viewer.
• 👮🏾 The figures in the painting are influenced by African masks, reflecting Picasso's cultural context and France's colonial past.
• 👨🏾 The painting combines various styles, showing Picasso's inventiveness and willingness to experiment with different artistic traditions.
• 👩🏾 The central figure's perspective suggests a deconstruction of three-dimensional form, which is a precursor to Cubism's approach to breaking down and reassembling forms on a two-dimensional surface.
• 👮 The painting's style and themes were shocking to contemporary artists and reflect the oppressive weight of traditional artistic styles on modern artists seeking a new visual language.

Q & A

What is the title of the painting discussed in the transcript?

The title of the painting is 'Les Demoiselles d'Avignon' by Pablo Picasso.

Where was Picasso when he painted 'Les Demoiselles d'Avignon'?

Picasso was in Paris when he painted 'Les Demoiselles d'Avignon'.

What does the title 'Les Demoiselles d'Avignon' translate to in English?

The title translates to 'The Young Ladies of Avignon'.

What is the significance of the street 'Avignon' in the painting's title?

The street 'Avignon' is associated with prostitution in Barcelona, Spain, and the painting depicts a brothel.

How is 'Les Demoiselles d'Avignon' considered a break from traditional European painting?

It is seen as a break from the 500 years of European painting that began with the Renaissance, challenging conventional representations of the female nude and spatial representation.

What artistic movement is 'Les Demoiselles d'Avignon' considered to have laid the foundation for?

The painting is considered to have laid the foundation for Cubism.

What artistic techniques did Picasso abandon in 'Les Demoiselles d'Avignon'?

Picasso abandoned linear perspective and chiaroscuro, the modulation of light and shadow that creates the illusion of depth.

What are the themes addressed in 'Les Demoiselles d'Avignon'?

The painting addresses themes of sexuality, the female nude, and sexually transmitted diseases.

How did the original sketches of 'Les Demoiselles d'Avignon' differ from the final painting?

In the original sketches, there were male figures included, such as a sailor and a medical student, but they were removed in the final version, leaving the women to engage the viewer directly.

What does the inclusion of a skull in the sketches signify?

The skull is a memento mori, a reminder of death, creating tension between the sensuality of the scene and the moralizing reminder of life's brevity.

How does the use of African masks in the painting reflect Picasso's cultural context?

The use of African masks reflects France's colonialism and Picasso's interest in their formal qualities and 'otherness', though he knew little about the cultures they came from.

What does the painting's style indicate about Picasso's artistic process?

The painting's style, which includes an agglomeration of different styles, indicates Picasso's inventiveness and willingness to expose his artistic 'laboratory' to the viewer.

Outlines

00:00

🎨 'Les Domoiselles d'Avignon' Analysis

The first paragraph discusses Picasso's painting 'Les Domoiselles d'Avignon', which is considered a pivotal work in the history of modern art. It is noted for its radical departure from traditional European painting conventions, marking a break with the past and laying the foundation for Cubism. The painting is analyzed in terms of its themes of sexuality, the female nude, and sexually transmitted diseases. The conversation highlights the absence of linear perspective and chiaroscuro, and how Picasso's use of African masks and archaic figures contributes to a sense of physical confrontation and danger. The painting's original sketches included male figures, which were later removed, directing the women's gaze outward to engage the viewer directly. The discussion also touches on the cultural context of the time, including France's colonialism and Picasso's limited understanding of the cultures from which the African masks originated.

05:01

🌏 Influence of African Art on Modernism

The second paragraph delves into Picasso's interest in African art, which he admired for its formal qualities and representation of 'otherness'. It discusses the broader artistic trend of the late 19th and early 20th centuries to look outside the Western tradition for inspiration, particularly to express the flatness of the picture plane. The conversation reflects on the oppressive influence of post-Renaissance culture on contemporary artists seeking a new visual language to represent modernity. The paragraph also touches on the cultural weight of mannerism, Baroque, neo-classicism, and 19th-century academies, which pushed artists to innovate and break away from traditional artistic norms.

Keywords

💡Domoiselles d'Avignon

Les Demoiselles d'Avignon is a groundbreaking painting by Pablo Picasso, created in 1907. It is considered a seminal work in the development of modern art, particularly as it is seen as a precursor to Cubism. In the video, the painting is described as a radical break from the conventions of representation that had been accepted in Western art for centuries. The title refers to a street in Barcelona associated with prostitution, and the painting itself is interpreted as a confrontational work that challenges traditional views on sexuality and the female nude.

💡Cubism

Cubism is an early 20th-century art movement pioneered by Picasso and Georges Braque that revolutionized European painting and sculpture. It is characterized by the fragmentation of subjects into geometric shapes and the simultaneous depiction of objects from multiple viewpoints. The video describes Cubism as a deconstruction of three-dimensional form, shattering that form and placing the fragments on a two-dimensional surface, which is exemplified by Picasso's painting.

💡Perspective

Linear perspective is a technique used in drawing to create the illusion of depth on a two-dimensional surface. The video explains that Picasso's painting abandons linear perspective, which was a significant departure from traditional European painting. This abandonment is part of the radical break that the painting represents, moving away from creating an illusion of depth towards a more abstract representation of space.

💡Chiaroscuro

Chiaroscuro is the use of strong contrasts between light and dark to create dramatic effects in art. The video mentions that Picasso was in love with the 'magic of illusion' created by chiaroscuro but chose to abandon it in 'Les Demoiselles d'Avignon', further emphasizing the painting's departure from traditional artistic techniques.

💡Memento Mori

Memento mori is a Latin phrase meaning 'remember that you have to die' and is used in art to remind viewers of their mortality. In the video, the inclusion of a skull carried by the medical student in the painting is interpreted as a memento mori, contrasting the sensuality of the scene with a reminder of death and the fleeting nature of life's pleasures.

💡African Masks

The video discusses how Picasso was influenced by African masks, which were brought to France due to its colonial presence in Africa. These masks are seen as representations of 'otherness' and are used in the painting to convey a sense of danger and physical confrontation. The use of African masks also reflects the broader cultural context of the time and the artist's exploration of non-Western art forms.

💡Stylistic Coherence

Stylistic coherence refers to the consistent use of artistic style throughout a work. The video points out that 'Les Demoiselles d'Avignon' lacks stylistic coherence, featuring an 'agglomeration of styles'. This diversity of styles is part of Picasso's innovative approach, as he allows viewers to see his 'laboratory' at work, experimenting with different forms and techniques.

💡Mannerism

Mannerism is a period of European art that emerged in the late 15th and early 16th centuries, characterized by a highly stylized and exaggerated approach to representation. The video suggests that Picasso's painting is a reaction against the oppressive weight of post-Renaissance culture, including mannerism, as artists sought a new visual language to represent modern culture.

💡Olympia

Olympia is a painting by Édouard Manet that caused controversy when it was first exhibited due to its unidealized depiction of a nude woman. The video draws a parallel between Manet's Olympia and Picasso's painting, noting how both challenge traditional representations of the female nude and engage the viewer directly through the subjects' gaze.

💡Titian

Titian was a leading painter of the Venetian Renaissance known for his mastery of color and use of light. The video mentions Titian in the context of the long artistic tradition that Picasso's painting breaks with, suggesting that 'Les Demoiselles d'Avignon' is a radical departure from the way bodies and space were traditionally represented in Western art.

💡Colonialism

Colonialism refers to the practice of a nation extending its control over other territories. The video discusses how Picasso's use of African masks in his painting is an expression of France's colonialism, as these objects were brought to France due to its colonial possessions in Africa. It highlights the cultural context in which the painting was created and the artist's limited understanding of the cultures from which these masks originated.

Highlights

The painting 'Les Domoiselles d'Avignon' by Pablo Picasso is on display at the Museum of Modern Art.

Picasso was in Paris when he painted the piece, which is a departure from traditional Spanish themes.

The title refers to a street in Barcelona associated with prostitution, indicating the painting's subject matter.

The painting is a radical break from 500 years of European painting tradition, starting with the Renaissance.

It is considered the foundation upon which Cubism is built.

The painting challenges conventional representation of the female body and space.

Linear perspective and chiaroscuro are absent, indicating a departure from illusionistic techniques.

The painting confronts viewers with themes of sexuality, the female nude, and sexually transmitted diseases.

The original sketches included male figures, but Picasso removed them to direct the women's gaze towards the viewer.

The male figures in the sketches were a sailor and a medical student, suggesting different perspectives on the women.

The medical student's inclusion of a skull in some sketches serves as a memento mori, contrasting with the sensuality of the scene.

The faces of the women on the right are influenced by African masks, which Picasso was studying at the time.

The figure on the left is archaic, drawing from pre-classical Iberian art.

The painting lacks stylistic coherence, showcasing Picasso's inventiveness and willingness to expose his 'laboratory'.

The figures are depicted very close to the viewer, with space being a palpable, fractured three-dimensional experience.

The curtains in the painting are pressed against the figures, eliminating the sense of space behind them.

Some art historians view the central figure as both a frontal view and a view from above, anticipating Cubist deconstruction.

Picasso's use of African masks to represent danger reflects France's colonialism and his limited understanding of their cultural origins.

The painting's rawness and ugliness horrified artists who saw it in Picasso's studio, marking a significant departure from traditional beauty standards.

The painting is a response to the oppressive weight of post-Renaissance culture on contemporary artists seeking a new visual language.

Transcripts

(classy piano music)

- [Man] We're on the fifth floor

of the The Museum of Modern Art

looking at Domoiselles d'Avignon by Pablo Picasso.

- [Woman] Picasso is a Spanish artist,

but he's Paris when he paints this.

(murmuring)

The title translates to The Young Ladies of Avignon.

- [Man] Which refers to a street

that's not in France but is in Barcelona

and associated with prostitution.

What we're looking at is a brothel.

The idea of rendering a woman

who is available to the male viewer,

but within a context that goes back to Degas.

But it also goes back to Manet,

if you think about his painting Olympia.

And you could go even further back

to the Venetian Renaissance and look

at paintings by Titian.

- [Woman] For many art historians,

this painting is seen as a break

with the 500 years of European painting

that begins with the Renaissance.

- [Man] And many art historians

see this as the foundation on which Cubism is built.

- [Woman] So it's this radical break

that points to the future.

And it's a radical break with these conventions

of representation that had for so long been accepted

in the West about how you make a body in space,

how you create a space.

All of that is up-ended by Les Domoiselles d'Avignon.

- [Man] Gone is linear perspective.

Gone is chiaroscuro, that modulation of light

and shadow that creates the illusion

that Picasso, by the way, was in love with,

the magic of illusion.

But here he's shattering it.

- [Woman] He found the formal means

to convey the ideas, I think, that were behind

Les Domoiselles d'Avignon, ideas about sexuality,

about the female nude, about sexually transmitted diseases.

This is a confrontational painting.

- [Man] In the original sketches,

the woman were focusing on a male that was included,

a sailor that was also a medical student.

But he takes those men out, and the women, then,

turn their gaze outward, like Manet's Olympia,

to engage us, the viewer, directly.

- [Woman] Those two male figures give us a clue

to some of the ideas behind the painting.

A sailor, someone who's in a brothel as a customer,

who was seated at a table originally.

- [Man] And then the medical student

takes on a more analytical view,

who looks at the women from a more scientific perspective.

But also maybe from a more artistic perspective.

Artists have a history of dissecting human bodies,

of understanding the bone structure, the musculature,

of looking at the body analytically.

- [Woman] But let's not forget

that that medical student carried,

at least in some sketches, a skull.

And of course it makes sense

that a medical student studying anatomy

might be carrying something related

to his profession to tell us who he is.

On the other hand, the skull,

in art history, is a reminder of death.

It's a memento mori.

And so there seems to be some tension here

between the sensuality that the sailor

is indulging in and a moralizing reminder

that the pleasures of life are short,

indicated by the skull carried by the medical student.

- [Man] The faces of the women on the right

are often seen as representations of African masks

that we know Picasso was then looking at.

The figure on the left is an archaic figure,

going back to Ancient Spain and going back

to Iberian art before the classical period.

- [Woman] That's one of the problems of this painting.

We look at art and we expect stylistic coherence.

But here we have this agglomeration of styles.

- [Man] It's a kind of invention.

Picasso is allowing his laboratory to be exposed to us.

There is a physical confrontation, there is danger here.

- [Woman] The figures are really close to us.

Space has become

this palpable three-dimensional fractured planes.

- [Man] The curtains that seem

to thread in between the figures

are pressed right up against those figures.

There is no space behind or between.

There is still some sense of illusion.

There's still some shadow.

There's still some highlighting.

But Picasso has only created an illusion

that goes back into space a few inches.

It's a little bit difficult to look at this painting

without the hindsight of understanding

where Cubism is going to go.

But knowing that Cubism is this deconstruction

of three-dimensional form, shattering that form

and then placing those fragments

back on a two-dimensional surface,

has led some art historians to look at the central figure

as one that we're both looking across at,

but also looking down at as if we're standing over her

while she lies on a bed.

These were not ideas that Picasso

came up with independently.

Matisse had been exploring these ideas,

and before him, Cezanne had done this.

- [Woman] You can see why artists who saw this painting

in Picasso's studio soon after it

was painted were horrified.

Even Degas, when he represented un-idealized women

in a brothel, never came close to the rawness, the ugliness.

- [Man] Picasso was a product of his culture.

He's a product of this moment.

The fact that he's looking at African masks

in order to represent danger

is an expression of France's colonialism.

Those objects, those masks, were coming to France

because France had large colonial possessions in Africa.

And Picasso at this time knew very little

about the cultures that these came from.

He was interested in them for their formal qualities,

for their formal inventiveness.

Also because they represented otherness.

- [Woman] This idea of needing to go

outside the Western tradition in order to express

what the early twentieth century

and the lat nineteenth century felt like is important,

this tendency toward expressing the flatness

of the picture plane, not denying it

by creating this false illusion.

This is a very important thing

in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century.

- [Man] It speaks to the oppressiveness

with which post-Renaissance culture, mannerism,

the Baroque neo-classism, the academies

of the nineteenth century, all weighed

on contemporary artists who were seeking

a new visual language to represent modern culture.

(classy piano music)