Pablo Picasso "Olga In An Arm Chair"

 


    For this week, we have one of my favorite Picasso works.  Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) is easily considered the greatest artist of the 20th century primarily because he was so very inventive, always on the move discovering and taking on new challenges.  Most people know him by his cubistic work but what I have always admired about him is his ability to draw, execute realistically.  
  Our subject for today is his portrait of his first wife, Olga Khokhlova.  They were married in 1918, the same year this painting was done.  At the time Picasso was heavy into his cubism phase, but he took time out to create this wonderful painting.  
   What is fun about this painting is what is NOT included.  She is very realistically done, but where is the chair?  Is that the beautifully embroidered fabric to her right?  A close examination shows line sketches, but the heavy shadow behind her suggests she is very close to a wall.   This shadow also suggests she is in a strong light, and possibly Picasso used a camera.  None of this matters, to me, only that my readers understand that Picasso was hugely gifted.  He could do everything, and everything well.   

  For your information, Olga was a ballerina who was part of a troupe that Picasso was working with at the time for set design.  They had one son, Paulo Picasso.  Their time together last a few years, but was stormy and eventually they separated, but never divorced.  Olga died in 1955, still Mrs. Pablo Picasso.  
    "Olga In An Arm Chair" is an oil on canvas, measuring 130 x 88.8 cm.  It is part of the collection of the Muse'e Picasso, Paris France.   

   Make Art a part of your life, it's a beautiful thing to do.

Comments

  1. Char HarguthMay 4, 2021 at 8:11 AM

    This is such a lovely painting of a demure young woman, not the first or last of his relationships. She almost seems sadly resigned to be sitting for this painting. Her right arm appears to be resting on something solid. I'm curious to know what is NOT there. Her carefully done hair, the beautiful dress and partially open fan, suggest class, and the grace of a ballerina. I wonder what she thought of his cubist renderings of her. He was so proficient in many mediums. I like this painting a lot; it sort of invokes sympathy. The empty space at the top is balanced by the cut off skirt at the bottom. (But I just want to pencil in a "chair".) Thank you for another interesting painting!

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