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Nude in a red armchair
Pablo Picasso • Painting, 1929, 195×129 cm
Description of the artwork «Nude in a red armchair»
In the mid 20-ies of XX century style, Picasso once again changing – this time under the influence of the movement of Surrealists headed by andré Breton. Picasso this surrealist - period,including "Nude in a red armchair"distinguish flowing "melted" contours and remarkably candid, even shocking depiction of the female form. However, Picasso never considered himself to the movement of the Surrealists: his personality and some earthiness did not allow him to submit to their favorite Freudian concept of the superiority of the unconscious. However, related to surrealism, the Dada, still believed the artist's "own", they published a reproduction Les demoiselles d'avignonin his Manifesto of 1925, thus acknowledging his influence on their work.
The painting "Nude in a red armchair" was completed in may 1929. While Surrealists took the idea of what is ugly and repulsive images can pave the way to the unconscious. The picture quite clearly designed to shock the audience, according to one version, was written under the influence Salvador Daliand Joan Miro. Other critics see the choice of color and pattern Wallpaper on the background of a kind of mockery of the work Henri Matisse. All converge only in one: the canvas depicts the Russian wife of Picasso – a former dancer Olga Khokhlovathe relationship of the artist with which at that time was already on the verge of breaking.
Special indignation of the painting caused among feminists. They had accused Picasso that his work depicting the female body as a symbol of submission and humiliation (hard to argue, given how evolved the relationship of the artist with all his women). Here, the depersonalization and devaluation reaches its climax: according to critics, the mouth of the heroine of the picture more like a sexual organ, topped with predatory teeth. The sharp contrast between red and green and emphasized the calm sea outside the window only reinforce the feeling of tension that fills the room.
It is believed that the negative influence on the work of Picasso had a breakup with Olga, and an affair with a 17-year-old Marie-Therese Walter. But do not forget that at the time of writing, painting artist was 48 years old and highly unlikely to have been spared the inherent age crises.
Author: Eugene Sidelnikov
The painting "Nude in a red armchair" was completed in may 1929. While Surrealists took the idea of what is ugly and repulsive images can pave the way to the unconscious. The picture quite clearly designed to shock the audience, according to one version, was written under the influence Salvador Daliand Joan Miro. Other critics see the choice of color and pattern Wallpaper on the background of a kind of mockery of the work Henri Matisse. All converge only in one: the canvas depicts the Russian wife of Picasso – a former dancer Olga Khokhlovathe relationship of the artist with which at that time was already on the verge of breaking.
Special indignation of the painting caused among feminists. They had accused Picasso that his work depicting the female body as a symbol of submission and humiliation (hard to argue, given how evolved the relationship of the artist with all his women). Here, the depersonalization and devaluation reaches its climax: according to critics, the mouth of the heroine of the picture more like a sexual organ, topped with predatory teeth. The sharp contrast between red and green and emphasized the calm sea outside the window only reinforce the feeling of tension that fills the room.
It is believed that the negative influence on the work of Picasso had a breakup with Olga, and an affair with a 17-year-old Marie-Therese Walter. But do not forget that at the time of writing, painting artist was 48 years old and highly unlikely to have been spared the inherent age crises.
Author: Eugene Sidelnikov
