Nude in an Armchair 2 by Pablo Picasso

The sculptural work of the illustrious avant-garde artist Picasso Pablo bears witness to a constant research on three-dimensionality and the radical simplification of the female body. This superb painting, designated by the title of “Nude in an Armchair 2”, belongs to his period of the nineteen-thirties when biomorphic and voluminous figures dominate his creations. Through this monumental treatment, the painter breathes a poetic and mystical dimension into the anatomical representation. This masterpiece perfectly illustrates his capacity to transform painting into three-dimensional volume.

The canvas presents a stylized female nude in profile against a very dark and mysterious brown background. The body is composed of smooth geometric and spherical shapes, notably two perfectly round breasts placed in the center of the composition. Two large white and rounded arms join at the front in a gesture of prayer or offering. The head, represented by an inclined oval shape with a subtle slit for the eye, rises on a long sinuous neck. A large red ochre plane envelops the silhouette, creating a dramatic contrast of light with the light volumes of the main character.

The artist’s virtuoso expertise is manifested in the remarkable modeling of volumes and the subtle application of gradients. His pictorial technique gives the perfect illusion of a sculpture in the round carved in stone or bronze. This creation confirms his genius for combining figurative painting and modern sculpture.