1905 La coiffure * Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) Period of creation: 1889-1907

Here we observe a drawing depicting a seated female figure engaged in the act of arranging her hair. The composition is vertically oriented and executed primarily with graphite on paper, lending it a sense of immediacy and study-like quality. The artist has chosen a close-up perspective, focusing intently on the upper body and head of the subject.
The woman sits cross-legged, her posture suggesting both concentration and a degree of introspection. Her gaze is directed towards the viewer, yet seems to hold an element of detachment or perhaps self-absorption. One arm is raised, fingers intertwined within her hair, while the other rests on her knee. The rendering of the body emphasizes volume through the use of hatching and shading; muscles are suggested rather than precisely delineated, contributing to a sense of organic form.
The face displays a certain angularity, with prominent features – notably the nose and eyes – rendered with careful attention to detail. There is an ambiguity in her expression; it could be interpreted as either serene or slightly melancholic. The hair itself becomes a significant element within the composition, acting not merely as an attribute of the figure but also as a visual device that frames her face and contributes to the overall sense of enclosure.
The drawing’s subtexts revolve around themes of femininity, self-reflection, and perhaps even the performative aspects of beauty rituals. The act of styling hair is elevated from a mundane task into a moment of quiet contemplation. Theres an underlying tension between the figures direct gaze and her inward focus, hinting at a complexity beyond surface appearance. The sketch’s unfinished quality reinforces this sense of observation – it feels like a captured moment in a larger process of artistic exploration. The signature at the bottom right corner provides a definitive mark of authorship, grounding the work within a specific artistic context while simultaneously acknowledging its status as a study or preliminary investigation.