1946 Portrait de FranЗoise 1 Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) Period of creation: 1943-1961

The drawing presents a portrait rendered in a highly stylized and fragmented manner. A figure, presumably female, dominates the composition; her face is presented frontally with large, simplified features. The eyes are disproportionately sized and positioned high on the forehead, conveying an expression that oscillates between vulnerability and intense observation. The nose is reduced to two parallel lines, while the mouth appears as a thin, vertical slit.
The artist employed a vibrant palette of colors – yellow, green, red, purple, and blue – applied in broad strokes with a crayon-like medium. These hues are not used naturalistically; instead, they contribute to an overall sense of emotional intensity and distortion. The hair is depicted as a chaotic mass of green lines interspersed with pink dashes, suggesting disarray or perhaps a deliberate rejection of conventional beauty standards.
A striking vertical line bisects the figure’s face, extending from the forehead down through the chin. This element appears almost like a scar or a fissure, visually dividing the subject and potentially symbolizing an internal conflict or trauma. The surrounding space is not left empty; its filled with a dense network of swirling blue lines that seem to emanate from the lower portion of the figure’s form. These lines create a sense of turbulence and confinement, contrasting sharply with the relative stillness of the face above.
The inscription 30/vin 46 in the upper left corner provides contextual information regarding the date of creation. This detail places the work within a specific historical period marked by significant social and political upheaval. The drawing’s expressive distortion and emotional rawness might be interpreted as a reflection of this turbulent era, hinting at themes of psychological distress or societal fragmentation.
The overall effect is one of unsettling intimacy; the subjects gaze seems to penetrate directly into the viewers consciousness while simultaneously maintaining an impenetrable distance. The drawing avoids any sense of idealized representation, opting instead for a direct and unflinching portrayal of human vulnerability and emotional complexity.