1926 Guitare2 Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) Period of creation: 1919-1930

The composition presents a fragmented assemblage affixed to a textured, off-white ground. The central element is a roughly rectangular piece of burlap, its coarse weave clearly visible and contributing significantly to the works tactile quality. A circular void punctures the center of this burlap panel, creating an aperture that draws the viewer’s eye into the background.
Attached to the upper corners of the burlap are thin strands of what appears to be twine or wire, angling downwards and seemingly suspending the piece from an unseen source. These lines introduce a sense of precariousness and detachment. Below the burlap, a layered construction emerges. A strip of brown cardboard is visible, its edges frayed and irregular, suggesting a deliberate rejection of neatness or precision. Above this, a smaller rectangular section of what appears to be paper with printed text is partially obscured by the burlap.
The overall effect is one of deconstruction and reassembly. The materials are humble – burlap, cardboard, paper – and their presentation emphasizes their inherent materiality rather than any decorative value. Theres an intentionality in the way these disparate elements have been brought together; it’s not a random collection but a carefully considered arrangement.
The circular void within the burlap panel could be interpreted as representing absence or loss, while the frayed edges of the cardboard suggest decay and impermanence. The printed text on the paper fragment hints at a narrative that remains largely inaccessible, adding to the sense of mystery and fragmentation. The work seems to explore themes of memory, ephemerality, and the process of reconstruction from fragmented remnants. It resists easy interpretation, instead inviting contemplation about the nature of objects, their histories, and the ways in which meaning is constructed through juxtaposition and absence.