Essay about Analysis of Picassos Nude Combing Hair

2D Analysis â€Å"Nude Combing Her Hair† Pablo Picasso. 1906 The piece I chose is Pablo Picasso’s â€Å"Nude combing her hair†. I first saw it at the Kimbell Art Museum and remember admiring it. It was finished in 1906 and is oil paint on canvas. The main (only) figure in this painting is a nude woman, standing, who appears to be combing through her hair with her fingers after bathing. Although abstract, Picasso creates a very elegant, raw, and naturalistic form using color, space, and his depiction of figure. The medium of this piece, as stated, is oil on canvas. Picasso takes no hesitation in using obvious and crude brush strokes to make a gesture against the idealism of classical art. This is a scene of every day life with a woman casually†¦show more content†¦It is not a defined space, or one that we could walk into. The setting is very unclear and undefined. This is in stark contrast to the figure. Through the use of placement and bold lines, she is clearly defined within the piece. Next is the use of color, or lack thereof. The colors in the background are very quiet and muted, mostly subdued blues and grays with hints of a deep red and brownish yellow peeking though. The colors used for the figure are browns and tans, almost as if the was painted with mud, like she is all-natural and from the earth. The range of colors would seem to have a cool tone if you were looking at them on a painter’s palette but the arrangement of color on the canvas gives the piece a warm feeling. Finally, the depiction of figure is perhaps the most interesting and intellectually challenging element in this piece. The figure, while emotionally withdrawn from the viewer, is physically imposing. She is looking down and away from the viewer, as if the isn’t aware that she is being watched. Her mask-like facial features also do little in the way of conveying emotion. Her body, however, is quite different. The dark thick lines shaping her muscles and limbs, the detail in the curls of her hair, the placement of her fingers, and her exposed breast all demand the attention of the viewers’ eye. The bold lines that define her legs, waist, and hip, make her seem intrusively part of our space. The awkward placement of her