Woman Ironing by Picasso

WOMAN IRONING

Pablo Picasso, Woman Ironing, 1904.  

        Above is a piece called Woman Ironing by Pablo Picasso. 

Many of you may have seen it before and can't help but feeling 

saddened by the colors and her weakened posture.  Picasso 

allows one to speak for the woman in this picture, because 

she has no say, and we have the ability to translate.

Visual Elements:

• Implied Movement  in the woman's posture
• Implied Direction (Arms)
• Heavy black outline around the woman
• Organic Shapes (Body, Iron)
• Positive Space (Woman)
• Negative Space (Background)
• Values of Grey
• Chiaroscuro
• Implied Light on the face, neck, arms and overall torso
• Contrast from black to white
•  A hint of rusty brown in the background and yellow in her skin
• Rough Implied Texture in her arms and table

           I chose this work of art because it looked familiar to me, only to discover the artist to be no other but Picasso himself. Woman Ironing vigorously expresses the melancholy undertone with powerful subtle characteristics. It's fascinating to see a piece with such a dull complexion appear so intense.