Leo Martínez
Seated Female Nude, also known as Femme nue assise and Nu assis, is a painting by Pablo Picasso. It was painted in 1908, a year after the completion of Les Demoiselles d’Avignon. The painting is currently exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The painting is said to offer a clear view into Picasso's formulation of Cubism in the early months of 1908. It is painted in gauzy layers of scumbled strokes and thin washes of browns and tans, with a background palette of greens and greys.
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What You'll Learn
Pablo Picasso's Seated Female Nude was painted in 1908
Pablo Picasso's "Seated Female Nude" was painted in 1908. The painting belongs to a series of works on the bather theme, inspired by Cézanne’s late, monumental bather compositions. In 1908, the year following the completion of "Les Demoiselles d’Avignon", Picasso made at least thirty such paintings and drawings.
The painting is currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. It was previously exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art in New York in 1957, and at the Art Institute of Chicago in the same year.
"Seated Female Nude" offers insight into Picasso's formulation of Cubism in the early months of 1908. The painting's monumental figure, modelled in dark green, warm brown, grey, and black, demonstrates the two prime influences on the artist at the time: the art of Africa, Iberia, and Oceania, and that of Paul Cézanne.
The painting features a background palette of greens and greys, with the figure modelled in gauzy layers of scumbled strokes and thin washes of browns and tans. Picasso elongated the model's left hand, extending it far past her right hand, while implausibly bending her left leg at the shin. The model's body serves as a site of Picasso's sculptural experimentation, with repeating curves and highlights and shadows freeing the form from the obligation to define it.
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The painting is a clear view into Picasso's formulation of Cubism
Pablo Picasso's "Seated Female Nude" was painted in the early months of 1908. The painting is a clear view into Picasso's formulation of Cubism, marking a pivotal moment in the artist's exploration of new styles and influences.
The painting depicts a monumental female figure, modelled with dark green, warm brown, grey, and black hues, set within an angular spatial niche. This composition reflects Picasso's fascination with the art of Africa, Iberia, and Oceania, a significant departure from traditional Western artistic traditions. The influence of Paul Cézanne, whom Picasso considered a master, is also evident in the work.
Picasso's unique approach to the female torso in "Seated Female Nude" is a key indicator of his Cubist experimentation. He elongates and distorts the model's torso and limbs, playing with shadows and curves to create a sculptural effect. This freedom from the obligation to define form is a hallmark of Cubism, allowing Picasso to explore shape and structure in new ways.
The painting also showcases Picasso's use of thin washes of browns and tans, a departure from his typically thick brushstrokes and heavy use of paint. This gauzy layering of colours contributes to the overall atmospheric quality of the work.
"Seated Female Nude" belongs to a series of works Picasso created in 1908, inspired by Cézanne's "Large Bathers." This period marked an intense exploration of the bather theme, with Picasso producing at least thirty paintings and drawings on the subject. The figure in "Seated Female Nude" holds a cloth, reminiscent of Cézanne's bathers, further emphasising the influence of Cézanne on Picasso's artistic development during this time.
Through its stylistic choices and thematic influences, "Seated Female Nude" provides a profound insight into Picasso's formulation of Cubism, showcasing his innovative approach to form, colour, and subject matter.
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The painting is set within an angular spatial niche
Pablo Picasso's "Seated Female Nude" is a painting that belongs to a series of works on the bather theme. Completed in 1908, a year after "Les Demoiselles d’Avignon", it is one of at least thirty such paintings and drawings produced by Picasso during that period.
The painting depicts a monumental figure modelled with dark green, warm brown, grey, and black hues, set within an angular spatial niche. This angular niche demonstrates the two prime influences on Picasso at the time: the art of Africa, Iberia, and Oceania, and the work of Paul Cézanne, whom Picasso once called his "one and only master".
The figure in "Seated Female Nude" is posed within this angular niche, with the space around her emphasising her monumental form. The angularity of the niche's spatial composition reflects the geometric and sculptural aspects of Picasso's Cubist style. The niche's sharp lines and planes create a sense of depth and perspective, framing the figure and drawing the viewer's focus towards her.
The use of an angular spatial niche in "Seated Female Nude" showcases Picasso's exploration of form and space, a key aspect of his Cubist experimentation. The niche's angular structure enhances the sense of volume and three-dimensionality in the composition, contributing to the painting's overall sculptural quality.
This painting also marks a stylistic shift for Picasso, as he typically rendered his figures with thick brushstrokes and heavy applications of paint. In "Seated Female Nude", however, he employed gauzy layers of scumbled strokes and thin washes of browns and tans, creating a softer and more ethereal effect. This technique, combined with the angular niche, showcases Picasso's innovative approach to form, space, and texture during this formative period of his artistic career.
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The painting was influenced by the art of Africa, Iberia, and Oceania
Pablo Picasso's "Seated Female Nude" was influenced by the art of Africa, Iberia, and Oceania. Completed in 1908, the painting offers insight into Picasso's formulation of Cubism. The painting's monumental figure, modelled with dark green, warm brown, grey, and black hues, reflects the artist's fascination with non-Western art.
During the early 1900s, European artists like Picasso and his contemporaries were influenced by the aesthetics of traditional African sculpture. This influence is evident in the stylised treatment of the human figure in "Seated Female Nude," with its elongated torso and limbs. Picasso's exploration of Cubism in this painting is characterised by repeating curves, highlights, and shadows that liberate the artwork from the constraints of traditional form.
The influence of African art is particularly notable in Picasso's treatment of the face in his portraits, such as his portrait of Gertrude Stein, where he adopted a frozen, mask-like style reminiscent of archaic sculptural busts from Iberia. This interest in non-Western art extended beyond Africa to include artworks from Oceania, which also captivated avant-garde artists and their followers during the Surrealist movement of the 1930s.
Additionally, Picasso was influenced by the artwork of Paul Cézanne, whom he considered his "one and only master." The year before creating "Seated Female Nude," Picasso was inspired by Cézanne's "Large Bathers", which featured solid figural forms, expressive distortions, and a classical theme. This influence carried over into "Seated Female Nude," where the figure holds a cloth similar to Cézanne's bathers.
The painting's background palette of greens and greys, along with its gauzy layers of scumbled strokes and thin washes of browns and tans, further reflect the fusion of influences from Africa, Iberia, Oceania, and Cézanne's work.
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The painting was influenced by the work of Paul Cézanne
Pablo Picasso's "Seated Female Nude" was painted in the early months of 1908 and is currently exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The painting is a clear demonstration of the two prime influences on the artist at the time—the art of Africa, Iberia, and Oceania, and that of Paul Cézanne, who Picasso once called "my one and only master".
The painting offers insight into Picasso's formulation of Cubism, with its monumental figure modelled in passages of dark green, warm browns, greys, and black, and set within an angular spatial niche. The painting's background palette of greens and greys is also reminiscent of Cézanne's work.
Picasso's fascination with Cézanne's art is evident in his exploration of the bather theme, inspired by Cézanne's "Large Bathers" (1907). In "Seated Female Nude", the figure holds a cloth, similar to one of Cézanne’s bathers. This work is also characterised by Picasso's use of gauzy layers of scumbled strokes and thin washes of browns and tans, a departure from his typical thick brushstrokes and heavy paint application.
The influence of Cézanne's late, monumental bather compositions on Picasso is undeniable. The solid figural forms, architectural structure, disrupted surfaces, expressive distortions, and productive discontinuities within a classical, Arcadian theme spurred Picasso to create more works on this theme.
Thus, "Seated Female Nude" serves as a testament to the influence of Paul Cézanne on Picasso's artistic journey and exploration of Cubism in the early 20th century.
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Frequently asked questions
Seated Female Nude.
Pablo Picasso.
1908.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
