Picasso’s portrait Fernande with a Black Mantilla serves as transitional work in the artist’s oeuvre. The work is somewhat expressionistic and romantic, incorporating a subdued tonality paired with lively brushstrokes. The painting portrays Picasso’s mistress, Fernande Olivier, wearing a mantilla; perhaps symbolizing the artist’s Spanish origins. However, the stylization of her face and the abbreviated features it possesses echo Picasso’s interest in the abstraction and solidity within Iberian sculpture. This would later influence his subsequent works. This specific painting serves as the first in his imminent experiments with abstraction; consisting of an investigation of space, volume, and perception, culminating in the invention of Cubism.

SKU: 6101
Creator: Pablo Picasso
Date: 1905-06
Original Medium: oil on canvas
Original Size: 39 3/8 x 31 7/8 in.
Location: Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
© Succession Picasso 2011