During an eight- to 10-month time frame in 1909, Pablo Picasso produced many portraits of his friend, Fernande Olivier. These works ranged from oil paintings to penciled sketches, some of which Picasso called "representations." More than 90 years later, art enthusiasts have the opportunity to experience these works first-hand through "Picasso: The Cubist Portraits of Fernande Olivier," an exhibit at the National Gallery of Art.
The exhibit begins in the spring of 1909, with some rough sketches of Olivier's figure. Picasso then focuses on portraits of her head, all titled "Head of a Woman." Picasso used oil paints for these works, which rely on darker colors like maroon, brown and tan. As Picasso worked, each painting became more complex, which is evident in the exhibit.
"Head of a Woman #20" shows Olivier in true cubist form. Though her face is distorted, viewers can still see the image of her lips drawn tightly together in a sad face. Picasso also managed to convey that same emotion in her black diamond-shaped eyes.
In the exhibit's second room visitors see that Picasso begins to add smoother lines to his shapes. Here, "Seated Woman," one of the first paintings he completed that summer, is done in traditional cubist form. The sharp edges of her figure make it nearly impossible to distinguish her body from the background of the painting. The only portion of the painting that stands out is her face, as is the case with many of the works displayed.
"Portrait of Fernande," a later summer work, adds contour to her body while still giving Olivier a sharper face. The greens and blues used give the illusion of a stained glass background, and emotion shines through more clearly in this painting than earlier pieces in the exhibit.
The exhibit concludes in the third room, featuring Picasso's works from the fall and winter. Olivier's form becomes more shapely in his pen, ink and watercolor "Standing Nude" series. It seems Picasso has become more comfortable with his subject and his style at this point in the year.
Picasso has finally mastered his work with "Woman in an Armchair (Young Woman)," which was completed during the winter. He manages to mix curves and boxy shapes to create a lucidity that flows throughout the painting. Even though her head is slightly disproportionate and her features are uneven, this portrait still gives the clearest picture of Olivier in the exhibition.
"Woman with a Mustard Pot" is one of the concluding paintings, and it also shows how Picasso has become comfortable with Olivier. Here, his subject appears to be smiling, unlike the works produced during the spring and summer that show her in a sad light.
