A nose, mouth and eyes, all heavily stylized, are scattered across a face like a child's game, giving this painting a humorous appearance. The model was probably Pablo Picasso's latest muse, Marie-Thérèse Walter (who was only 18 years of age at the time!). Picasso continued to paint Walter for many years after this, but most of those works have a bright and joyful atmosphere, probably a reflection of her sportswoman’s vitality. One slightly disturbing element in this work is the unflattering, wide-open mouth. Some say it may belong to his then-wife Olga, with whom his relationship was deteriorating.
(MATSUNAGA Shintaro)
A nose, mouth and eyes, all heavily stylized, are scattered across a face like a child's game, giving this painting a humorous appearance. The model was probably Pablo Picasso's latest muse, Marie-Thérèse Walter (who was only 18 years of age at the time!). Picasso continued to paint Walter for many years after this, but most of those works have a bright and joyful atmosphere, probably a reflection of her sportswoman’s vitality. One slightly disturbing element in this work is the unflattering, wide-open mouth. Some say it may belong to his then-wife Olga, with whom his relationship was deteriorating.
(MATSUNAGA Shintaro)
■Related
・Katada Yuko “Pablo Picasso’s Woman Sleeping in a Chair”(PDF)
（”Bulletin of Yokohama Museum of Art,” No. 18, Yokohama Museum of Art, 2017, pp. 30-42 [in Japanese], 66 [summery in English]）