Deux femmes 1959

This 1959 linogravure by Pablo Picasso, titled Deux femmes (Two Women), is part of the celebrated series published by Cercle d'Art in Paris. As Plate 12, it exemplifies Picasso’s late exploration of the human figure through the bold, graphic language of linocut.

The composition stages an intimate encounter between two female figures. One stands at the left, upright and frontal, while the other reclines on a richly patterned surface to the right. Their interaction—subtle yet charged—suggests a moment of exchange, perhaps conversational or symbolic, rather than overtly narrative.

Picasso contrasts the two figures both formally and emotionally. The standing woman is elongated and statuesque, her contours defined by strong, decisive lines. In contrast, the reclining figure is more expansive and fluid, her body curving into the decorative patterns beneath her. This interplay between verticality and horizontality creates a dynamic balance within the composition.

The linocut technique is particularly striking here. Picasso employs a limited palette of black and white, allowing line and contrast to carry the expressive weight of the image. 

The setting is suggested through minimal architectural and decorative elements, yet it feels enclosed and intimate. The flattened perspective—typical of Picasso’s late work—compresses space, bringing the figures into close visual proximity and intensifying their presence.

There is also a dialogue between tradition and modernity. The reclining nude recalls classical representations of the female body, while Picasso’s stylization and distortion transform it into something distinctly modern. The standing figure, with her almost mask-like face and simplified anatomy, further reinforces this synthesis of influences.

Deux femmes reveals Picasso’s enduring fascination with the female form—not as a fixed ideal, but as a site of continuous reinvention. Through the economy of linocut, he distills complex relationships into bold, essential forms, creating a work that is at once timeless and unmistakably modern.

Linocut

Abstract - Erotic

Pl. 12

Good condition, minor stains