BETWEEN THE WARS

Female Bather with Raised Arms (1929)

Oil on Canvas

The female nude is one of the eternal images of Western Art. This figure of the nude, painted by Picasso in 1929, is one of a series of images of the artist's lover, Marie-Thérèse Walter, at one of their favorite spots on the beach in Normandy. Shown with her arms raised and holding a towel, she stands next to a cabana (located at the far right). Picasso idealizes the woman of his affections by abstracting the figure. Through simple geometry, a limited palette of tans and grays, and a pose based on a ballet position, he has transformed her into a lyrical image that is expressive of ageless, classical beauty.

This painting and caption may be found at Phoenix Art Museum.

Woman with Yellow Hair (1931)

Oil on canvas, 39 3/8 x 31 7/8 inches.

When Picasso met Marie-Thérèse on January 11, 1927 in front of Galeries Lafayette in Paris, she was 17 years old. As he was married at the time and she only a teenager, they were compelled to conceal their intense love affair. While their illicit liaison was hidden from public view, its earliest years are documented, albeit covertly, in Picasso’s work. Five still lifes painted during 1927—incorporating the monograms “MT” and “MTP” as part of their compositions—cryptically announce the entry of Marie-Thérèse into the artist’s life. By 1931 explicit references to her fecund, supple body and blond tresses appear in harmonious, voluptuous images such as Woman with Yellow Hair. Marie-Thérèse became a constant theme; she was portrayed reading, gazing into a mirror, and, most often, sleeping, which for Picasso was the most intimate of depictions.

This painting and caption may be found at Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum.