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Lesson Plans—Works of Art
Object Descriptions and Suggested Discussion Questions

Pablo Picasso (Spanish, 1881–1973) Woman with Bangs, 1902 Oil on canvas The Baltimore Museum of Art: The Cone Collection, formed by Dr. Claribel Cone and Miss Etta Cone of Baltimore, Maryland BMA 1950.268

Pablo Picasso is widely considered the most influential artist of the 20th century. The innovative artist was responsible for the rise of cubism (along with Georges Braque) and the development of media like collage and assemblage. Though he spent most of his life in France, Picasso was born in Spain in 1881. His father, an art teacher, recognized his son's talent at an early age and nurtured his progress by tutoring his son and enrolling him in art classes. By the age of 14, Picasso's ability was so developed that he completed the Barcelona Academy of Fine Arts entrance examination for advanced classes in one day rather than the month-long period usually required for students. Between 1900 and 1904, Picasso traveled frequently between Barcelona and Paris. During this time, Picasso developed the first original style of his career with his “Blue Period” paintings.

Woman with Bangs is characteristic of the work done by Picasso from 1901 to 1904. The impetus for his decision to paint in this emotionally stark style is usually attributed to the artist's grief over the suicide of his friend Carlos Casagemas. The palette is largely limited to shades of blue but includes some brown and flesh tones. The woman, who is likely a product of the artist’s imagination rather than a model, wears a sullen, unfocused expression and sports a decided pout. Her hunched shoulders, plain clothing and partially shadowed face and body contribute to the dejected atmosphere of the painting. The sacklike quality of her clothes and the spare composition suggest the painting is grounded in a reality of poverty, loneliness and sorrow experienced by the artist and his subjects. This woman is one of many disenfranchised characters that populate Picasso's Blue Period paintings. The figures represent types of people like the homeless, mentally ill and destitute rather than specific individuals.

In June 1901 Picasso exhibited pre-Blue Period paintings featuring bright hues and broken brushstrokes at the Galerie Vollard in Paris and sold over half the works. The income from this show did not last long. Woman with Bangs was painted in Barcelona before Picasso returned to Paris in the fall of 1902. In Paris Picasso was forced to live in cramped quarters and could not afford canvas. He reportedly burned drawings for heat. These conditions gave him direct experience with the impoverished world of the subjects he depicted.

His work was exhibited at the Galerie Berthe Weill in 1902. The symbolist poet Charles Morice reviewed Picasso's work in the magazine Mercure de France at the end of the year. He labeled the young artist "a gloomy god" and continued by saying, "The hundreds of faces that he has painted all grimace. Never a single smile . . . And his own painting is shut in. Hopelessly so? There is no telling. But undoubtedly it has power, ability and talent."

Suggested Discussion Questions

• How does Picasso’s use of color affect the way we view this painting? How would we react if he used another color like red or yellow?
• What does the body language (expression, posture, etc.) of the woman tell us about the mindset of the subject? Give examples of expressions that correspond to emotions.
• What does this painting tell us about the lives of people who do not fit into accepted roles in society? What would you define as an accepted role in society? Do you think there has been a change in the way these roles are viewed since Picasso painted the image?