Executed on September 3-4, 1967, Three Standing Nudes and a Figure exemplify the artist’s mastery across mediums. Deeply personal and allegorical, the present work reflects the artist’s genius in the most prodigious part of his late-career.
Three Standing Nudes and a Figure is remarkable amid Picasso’s late works on paper for its richness and painted details. The figures of the four nudes are rendered in pencil and present a highly expressive and graphic quality characteristic of his late drawings and etchings. The simplicity of form lent by the linear execution of the figures is balanced by the selective use of gouache in the head of the central figure. Whereas the faces of her companions are delineated by simple yet bold outlines, the woman at the center draws the viewer’s attention with a monochromatic detailing of her hair and facial features. Instantly recognizable is the visage of Picasso’s partner in life and ultimate muse, Jacqueline Roque. The grisaille details of this figure’s large eyes, attenuated neck, and long, dark hair are often seen in his other depictions of Jaqueline. Though she never posed for Picasso, Jacqueline permeated his life and work, her image especially populating his work from the early 1960s onward.
Such reflection on youth, beauty, and eternality is especially poignant in Picasso’s waning years, as he grappled with his own mortality. The work of the late 1960s reveals a heightened affiliation with allegorical and mythological figures. His nudes from this time reach the level of the divine, acting as conduits for his own wishful immortality. Situated within the context of his peaceful last decade with Jacqueline, Three Standing Nudes and a Figure radiates a sense of eternal life and everlasting ardor.
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