1907 nu de face aux bras levВs Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) Period of creation: 1889-1907

The composition presents a female figure rendered in a stark and fragmented style against a warm, earthy background. The subject stands centrally within the frame, her posture characterized by raised arms, palms facing forward. Her facial features are simplified, almost mask-like, with large, almond-shaped eyes that convey an unsettling stillness.
The artist employed a limited palette dominated by muted tones of grey, white, and ochre. The figure’s body is delineated through broad strokes, creating a sense of angularity and distortion. Areas of the skin appear almost monochromatic, while the background features a reddish-brown hue that seems to bleed into the edges of the composition, blurring the boundaries between form and space.
Superimposed on the background are faint sketches – what appears to be another figure and some indecipherable markings – suggesting an underlying process of experimentation or revision. The presence of these preliminary drawings introduces a layer of complexity, hinting at the artist’s engagement with multiple possibilities before arriving at the final depiction. A date, 1907, is inscribed in the upper right corner, providing a temporal anchor for the work.
The overall effect is one of deliberate deconstruction and abstraction. The figures anatomy is not presented realistically; rather, it is broken down into geometric planes and reassembled in an unconventional manner. This approach challenges conventional notions of beauty and representation, suggesting a move away from traditional academic ideals toward a more conceptual exploration of form and perception.
The raised arms could be interpreted as gestures of supplication, defiance, or simply as compositional elements that contribute to the figure’s overall dynamism. The lack of emotional expression in her face adds to the sense of ambiguity, inviting viewers to project their own interpretations onto the subject. Ultimately, the work appears to explore themes of identity, fragmentation, and the limitations of representation through a radical visual language.