Picasso, Pablo (1881-1973)
La madre (The Mother)
1901
Oil on cardboard mounted on panel, 74.9 × 52.1 cm
Saint Louis Art Museum, St. Louis
This work, painted by Pablo Picasso when he was just 20 years old, features a mother who grasps her toddler by the hand and holds her infant high against her shoulder. The woman stands resolute on the outskirts of a town or city, looking upon her surroundings with a determined gaze. The blue-gray tone of her skin is a precursor to Picasso’s Blue Period, during which time he depicted several downtrodden members of urban society in a palette of cool colors. (SLAM)