1972 Buste dhomme Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) Period of creation: 1962-1973

The drawing presents a bust portrait of a man rendered in a fragmented and stylized manner. The subject is positioned within a shallow pictorial space, his gaze directed towards the viewer with a directness that borders on unsettling. He wears a distinctive hat, its form simplified into broad planes of pink and purple hues.
Here we see a deliberate distortion of facial features; the nose appears flattened and elongated, while the eyes are rendered as asymmetrical shapes, contributing to an overall sense of unease and psychological complexity. The mouth is reduced to a minimal line, suggesting a suppression or ambiguity in expression. Multiple profiles seem superimposed upon one another, creating a fractured representation that challenges conventional notions of portraiture.
The artist employed a technique involving parallel lines throughout the background and subtly within the figure itself. These lines create a textural effect, almost resembling wood grain, which adds to the drawing’s visual density and contributes to a sense of confinement or entrapment for the subject. The color palette is restrained – primarily whites, pinks, purples, and muted browns – yet the contrast between light and shadow emphasizes the angularity of the forms.
The subtexts within this work suggest an exploration of identity beyond superficial appearances. The fragmentation implies a deconstruction of the self, hinting at the multifaceted nature of human personality. The direct gaze, combined with the unsettling distortion, might be interpreted as a challenge to traditional notions of representation and authority. It is possible that the artist intended to convey a sense of alienation or psychological tension through this unconventional portrayal.