Pablo Picasso
(Málaga, Spain, 10/25/1881 - 4/8/1973, Mougins, France)
Title
Construction with Swallows
Creation Date
2/10/34
Century
early 20th century
Dimensions
10 1/8 in. x 12 7/8 in. (25.72 cm x 32.7 cm)
Object Type
drawing
Creation Place
Europe, Spain
Medium and Support
India ink , (pen ?) and (charcoal ?) on paper
Credit Line
Bequest of William H. Alexander, in memory of his friend, Howard Hoyt Shiras, M.D.
Copyright
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Accession Number
2003.11.63
This drawing is the last in a series inspired by the artist’s mistress, Marie-Therese Walter. The head appears as a surreal construction: the nose projects from the woman’s gaping mouth, which is lined with teeth. Here, the eyes appear on their own stalk-like supports, which sprout from the spinal cord; the arms and the features of the woman’s body have been simplified with principally curvilinear strokes of ink. Picasso introduced swallows into the composition in only the last three drawings of the series. Curiously, the woman holds a tiny, round mirror in her right hand, which catches a reflection of the swallows. To reinforce the connection, Picasso drew lines across the nude to the birds above. This not only serves a compositional purpose, but also is a poetic means of linking the world of the interior and the inner life of the figure with what lies beyond.
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