Critical Essay on Picasso's Demoiselles D'Avignon

Introduction

This painting stretches all the way back to the twentieth century and it is an ideal representation of cubism. This is an advanced form of painted and sculpted arts that was characterized by offering a multiplicity of aspects where several features of the art can be seen at the same time. This was a departure from other forms of paints and sculptures that could only be viewed a singular fixed angle. The uniqueness of cubism presented a wonder approach towards expressing the depths and complexity of the world in a simplified way where square shapes are formed together. Picasso stands out among his contemporary artists for pioneering cubism during this era. His painting Les Demoiselles d'Avignon remains one of his most iconic works that depict the cubism form of painting (Unger). This essay will provide a detailed formal analysis and other additional analytical looks at the Les Demoiselles d'Avignon by Picasso.

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Formal Analysis

Picasso was not only an accomplished painter but also a respected sculptor in his own right. In this work of art, Picasso utilized angry but definitive lines coupled with a detailed concept of shadow and light. His free-thinking spirit is evident throughout this piece of art as can be seen in his expression of forms and space. The artist applies various shades to capture the still life composition of the women appearing in the painting. He has used tempera paint to design this piece of art which gives out a neutral pallet and a flat style. The mixing of colors by Picasso has created collage papers and a rich texture by using sponges. Once the shapes have been formed, the artist enhanced the overall design of the painting and created patterns onto it through the use of oil pastels.

Picasso also achieves uniqueness in this piece of art by using dark colors and textures to distinguish it from other contemporary works of art (Unger). He also ensures that the form of Les Demoiselles d'Avignon bears an inconsistent and dislocated artistic style that actually appears to be unfinished. The painting has an integral form with decorative colors that can be visible from a single but overthrowing viewpoint. There are variations created by the artist in the painting because he uses warmer colors on the right while applying darker colors on its left side. The structural appearance indicates the use of black and white sharp curves with outlines with a left background depicting a cinnamon tone. The medium that Picasso used to paint this iconic piece of art is oil on canvas. He reduces the contrasting textures and colors to a minimum as a way of avoiding to overwhelm the overall design.

Additional Analysis

This work of art can be understood better by the viewers through the contextual and feminist modes of analysis. Picasso painted the 'Les Demoiselles d'Avignon' from a bigger political and social context because the world at this time was grappling with a rapidly growing society and modernized medicine with technology. This depicts the contextual mode of analysis, although the feminist aspect of it comes out through its literal meaning. In English, 'Les Demoiselles d'Avignon' translates to The Young Ladies of Avignon because it was a depiction of five prostitutes. The changing social, medical, and technological aspects of the then society can be seen through the underlying dark and light tones that Picasso has used in the painting. This was a work of art showing a crude version of prostitutes that came out as an anti-idealist representation of a subject matter which could be seen as un-ideal.

It was not the first time that artists had sculpted or painted works of art had used prostitutes in their pieces of art. However, this particular piece by Picasso was a breakthrough in this context because it showed prostitutes in an erotic posture with their arms held above their heads to portray their feminine side. This was an offensive portrayal of women during this era. Picasso used not one but five prostitutes in the painting to multiply the penetration of the sad gaze that they depicted through somber faces that appear emotionless. He needed to bring out the cultural awareness and the plight of these prostitutes as this was a taboo subject to discuss at the time. Two of the women in the painting are painted wearing Africa masks to show how secretive their trade was, and this only served to negatively impact them through the dire effects of venereal diseases.

Conclusion

Picasso's prowess and ability to interpret social issues through artistic images in his creative language made 'Les Demoiselles d'Avignon' to be recognized as the most influential piece of art in the last century (Unger). The use of definitive lines on an oil canvas brings out the depth, tone, and form of the painting. He succeeds in addressing the political and social issues of the time as can be seen through the contextual mode of analysis. The feminist mode of analysis is also evidently present through the representation of the lady prostitutes who show a sad side of their work which they have to continue doing irrespective of the society's negative perception towards them.

Works Cited

Unger, Miles J. Picasso and the Painting That Shocked the World. Simon & Schuster, 2019. Print.