Picasso Demoiselles D’Avignon

Summary

Picasso's painting, a pivotal move into cubism, shocked the Paris art scene in 1907. Initially depicting a brothel with five women, it evolved through over 100 sketches into a complex composition of fragmented forms and jagged planes. The artwork, influenced by African and Iberian masks, rejected traditional values and painting techniques, instead favoring line drawing. This 'exorcism' painting laid the groundwork for cubism and, after years of obscurity, is now a treasured piece at the Museum of Modern Art, New York.

Takeaways

• 🎨 **Picasso's Cubism**: The painting marked Picasso's full transition into cubism, shocking the Paris art scene in 1907.
• 🤯 **Initial Reaction**: The painting was met with shock, distaste, and outrage, including Matisse considering it a hoax.
• 🖼️ **Evolution of the Artwork**: Picasso struggled with the subject, creating over 100 sketches and preliminary paintings before finalizing the composition.
• 🚫 **Rejection of Traditional Values**: The painting rejected middle-class society and traditional values, depicting sexual freedom in a brothel setting.
• 🎭 **Symbolism**: The medical student in the painting was a stand-in for the painter and symbolized death with a skull.
• 👥 **Composition**: The final composition removed the patron and medical student, focusing on five women, including one with a primitive mask.
• 🌐 **Influence of African Art**: Picasso used African masks for the faces, reflecting the influence of colonization and African art on his work.
• 🔄 **Cubist Techniques**: The painting used a linear composition, breaking forms into planes, and pushing the treatment of form and space to its limit.
• 👁️ **Unusual Perspectives**: The women in the painting were depicted from odd perspectives, with body parts shown from different angles.
• 🔍 **Detailing**: Picasso applied cubist ideas to the musculature, showing detailed anatomical parts in a deboned style.
• 🏛️ **Legacy**: The painting was initially unseen for 39 years but later became a prized part of the Museum of Modern Art, New York's collection.

Q & A

What was Picasso's painting that offended the Paris art scene in 1907?

Picasso's painting that offended the Paris art scene in 1907 is 'Les Demoiselles d'Avignon'.

What was the initial reaction of the Paris art scene to 'Les Demoiselles d'Avignon'?

The initial reaction was almost unanimous shock, distaste, and outrage.

Who was the painter that considered 'Les Demoiselles d'Avignon' a hoax?

The painter Matisse was angered by the work and considered it a hoax.

What was Picasso's struggle during the creation of 'Les Demoiselles d'Avignon'?

Picasso struggled with depicting three-dimensional space in a two-dimensional picture plane without using standard tools of illusion.

How many sketches and preliminary paintings did Picasso create before finalizing 'Les Demoiselles d'Avignon'?

Picasso created over 100 sketches and preliminary paintings.

What was the original composition of 'Les Demoiselles d'Avignon' before the final version?

The original composition included two men, a patron surrounded by women, and a medical student holding a skull.

What does Picasso's painting 'Les Demoiselles d'Avignon' signify in terms of societal values?

The painting signifies Picasso's rejection of middle-class society and traditional values, opting for the sexual freedom depicted in a brothel.

How did Picasso's 'Les Demoiselles d'Avignon' influence the art movement of Cubism?

The originality of Picasso's vision and execution in 'Les Demoiselles d'Avignon' helped plant the seeds of Cubism.

Why was 'Les Demoiselles d'Avignon' largely unseen for 39 years after its creation?

After its initial showing, the painting was rolled up in Picasso's studio until it was bought by an art dealer in the early 1920s.

What role did African and Iberian masks play in the creation of 'Les Demoiselles d'Avignon'?

African and Iberian masks influenced the faces in the painting, with Picasso using their forms and characteristics to create a sense of innocent sexuality.

How did Picasso use the concept of Cubism in the depiction of the women in 'Les Demoiselles d'Avignon'?

Picasso broke the forms of the women into a series of planes, using identifiable characteristics and pushing the treatment of form and space to its limit.