1946 La joie de vivre (Pastorale) Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) Period of creation: 1943-1961

The composition presents a pastoral scene rendered in a fractured and stylized manner. Here we observe a group of figures and animals arranged across a shallow pictorial space, delineated by abrupt shifts in color and perspective. The palette is dominated by blues, yellows, and reds, applied in broad planes rather than blended smoothly.
A central figure, seemingly female, stands with an elongated neck and flowing hair, her form simplified to geometric shapes. She appears to be dancing or gesturing animatedly. To her left, a horse-like creature is depicted, its anatomy similarly abstracted and fragmented. Further along the scene, a shepherd plays a flute, his posture suggesting a sense of quiet contemplation amidst the surrounding activity. A group of goats are positioned near him, their forms also reduced to essential shapes.
The background is equally unconventional; a triangular structure in yellow suggests a building or landscape feature, while other areas are filled with blocks of blue and white, creating an ambiguous spatial depth. The ground plane is rendered as a series of overlapping planes, further contributing to the sense of disorientation and fragmentation.
Subtly, the work seems to explore themes of joy and vitality despite – or perhaps because of – a disrupted reality. The figures’ exaggerated gestures and simplified forms convey a feeling of exuberance, while the fractured perspective suggests a world viewed through a lens of emotional intensity. Theres an underlying sense of melancholy present in the flattened space and the somewhat detached portrayal of the subjects; it is not a straightforward celebration but rather a complex meditation on happiness and its fragility. The pastoral setting itself – traditionally associated with peace and harmony – is rendered here as something unstable, hinting at a deeper psychological or societal unease.