This compelling artwork is a portrait. The piece captures a female portrait, showcasing her with closed eyes, her head gently inclined, her hand resting delicately on her shoulder. The backdrop is a deep, resonant blue, creating a striking contrast with the warm and lifelike hues that define the portrait's skin tones and the white drapery gracefully draping her shoulder. Picasso's distinctive visual language, which was still in its formative stages at the time of this piece's creation, is evident in the sculptural volumes that define the subject's face. The commanding use of form and color is characteristic of the mastery that would come to define the 20th century. The figure occupies a dominant position within the composition, exuding a monolithic presence that captivates the viewer.

Details:
Artist: (After) Pablo Picasso
Title: Portrait of a Woman
Medium: Oil on Canvas
Dimensions: 17 1/2 x 20 inches (44.45 cm x 50.8 cm)
Condition Report: Overall good condition
Signature and Date: Located in the upper left corner

About the artist:
Pablo Picasso, born on October 25, 1881, in Málaga, Spain, and passing away on April 8, 1973, in Mougins, France, was a Spanish-born French artistic polymath. His creative talents spanned painting, sculpture, printmaking, ceramics, and stage design. Picasso's artistic journey began early, as he was trained in drawing by his father, who was a drawing professor. He exhibited his first works at the tender age of 13.

Upon his permanent move to Paris in 1904, Picasso transitioned from the predominantly blue tones of his famous "Blue Period" (1901–04) to a palette characterized by pottery-inspired hues and depictions of the human form during his "Rose Period" (1904–06). His groundbreaking masterpiece, "Les Demoiselles d'Avignon" (1907), stirred controversy due to its radical treatment of the female form and the mask-like faces influenced by his study of African art.

Between 1909 and 1912, Picasso collaborated closely with Georges Braque, marking the only instance in his career when he worked in such a collaborative manner. Together, they pioneered what became known as Cubism, a movement that redefined reality by breaking away from Renaissance traditions, particularly in terms of perspective and illusion. Picasso and Braque introduced a new way of depicting reality that accepted inconsistencies, such as multiple viewpoints, different axes, and varying light sources within the same artwork.

By 1912, they pushed Cubism even further by incorporating glued paper and other materials into their canvases. Picasso's artistic journey continued to evolve, with notable phases inspired by Surrealism, the Spanish Civil War, and, later in his career, his association with the Communist Party. He diversified his creative output, delving into sculpture, ceramics, lithography, and, of course, painting.

Notably, in his later years, Picasso created variations of works by earlier artists, including a famous series of 58 paintings based on Diego Velázquez's "Las Meninas." Over his impressive career, which spanned nearly eight decades, Picasso played an instrumental role in the development of modern art in the 20th century. His prolific and diverse body of work remains an enduring legacy in the world of art.