Special Exhibitions
Picasso: The Artist's Studio
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Special Exhibitions |
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Picasso: The Artist's Studio |
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Preparatory Study for La Vie There are four surviving preparatory studies for La Vie. All four show Picasso standing between a naked woman and a canvas resting on an easel.Three of the studies also include a bearded man, presumably another artist—judging by his long hair and disheveled appearance—entering the studio from the right. He occupies the same position as the robed woman holding a baby in the painting. In some preparatory studies, such as the one shown here, the naked woman standing beside Picasso appears pregnant and has long hair, symbolic of sexual availability or fertility. She also embraces Picasso in a more tender, intimate manner than in the painting. New conservation studies with infrared reflectography suggest that the woman probably did have long hair at one point in the painting process. (1) Pablo Picasso, Preparatory Drawing for La Vie, 1903 Conté crayon on paper, 14.5 x 9.5 cm. Museu Picasso, Barcelona Page 3 of 4 | On the next page: Last Moments Discovered Beneath La Vie |
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