LESSONS 13 " 4 ⁄ 1 um ofArt, Modern use he M T . 1932. canvas, Oil on 64 x 51 Pablo Picasso.Pablo Spanish, 1881–1973. 2006 Estate of2006 Estate Rights Picasso/Artists Pablo 62.3 x 130.2 cm). IMAGE NINE: Girl before a Mirror (1 New York. New Gift of Mrs. Guggenheim. Simon © Society (ARS),York New " 4 ⁄ 3 25 x 8 ⁄ 3 odern Art, M f . 1901. on Oil Spanish, . um o (69.5 x 57 cm). Museu use The Wait " 2 ⁄ 1 or lo Picasso he M 22 T x lo Picasso. Spanish, 1881–1973. ab 4 ⁄ P 1 ab : P Margot Margot 1911–12. canvas, Oil on 39 arcelona. Plandiura acquisition, 1932. B , rk. the Lillie through P.Bliss Acquired o Y w 2006 Estate of2006 Estate Rights Picasso/Artists Pablo 00 x 64.5 cm). e cardboard, 27 1881–1973. IMAGE EIGHT Picasso © Society (ARS),York New N Bequest. of © 2006 Estate Picasso/Artists Pablo Rights Society (ARS),York New IMAGE TEN: Jolie.” “Ma (1 LESSON THREE: Portraiture LESSON THREE: INTRODUCTION Portraits can represent individuals in many different ways. A portrait can be a literal repre- sentation or it can represent a person symbolically. It can capture a person’s physical char- acteristics and/or attempt to represent his or her personality, ideas, or emotions. These three portraits by Picasso represent a range of styles, from representational to abstract.

LESSON OBJECTIVES • Students will understand the conventions of portraiture such as pose, gesture, expression, costume, and setting.

• Students will examine three distinct styles in which Picasso worked. 14 L E S S O INTRODUCTORY DISCUSSION N S • Begin the conversation by asking your students to define “portraiture.” Ask if they have ever sat for their portrait. Perhaps they have had their picture taken at school. Ask if they ever do anything special in preparation for having their picture taken. Ask them why or why not.

• Ask you students to describe what someone looking at his or her portrait could learn about the sitter from what he or she is wearing (the costume) or the expression on his or her face.

IMAGE-BASED DISCUSSION • Ask your students to take a moment to look at Margot or The Wait. Ask students to describe the woman’s pose, her gesture, her expression, and her costume.

• Ask your students about the position of the woman’s body. Ask them what they think her posture communicates.

• Ask your students what they can learn about the woman by examining her pose, gesture, expression, and costume.

• Direct your students to focus on the background of the painting. Ask them if the background can aid them in learning about this person. Ask them why or why not.

When Picasso was nineteen years old, he went to Paris. At the time, Paris was the center of the art world. Picasso was excited by the city’s fast pace and diversity, and he began to include street scenes and scenes of Parisian nightlife in his work. It is likely that the woman in this picture was someone that Picasso saw on the street or met briefly in a music hall.

• Ask your students to think of descriptive words to characterize the style of this painting.

Leaning forward, with elbows crossed before her on the table, the figure looks directly at the viewer. She is most likely seated in a café frequented by Picasso and his friends. Picasso’s style in this period was representational and defined by broad brushstrokes and the use of vibrant colors, which give the painting a mosaic-like pattern, particularly in the background.

• Ask your students to take a moment to look at Girl before a Mirror. Ask them to tell you what they see in this painting, referencing her expression, gesture, pose, and costume. Be sure to ask them to support their observations with visual evidence from the painting.

• Ask your students what they can learn about the sitter by looking at the painting. LESSONS 15 Girl and “Ma , Girl before . Braque and The Wait Girl before a The Wait or or and ee examples of the Cubism (1901) and (1901) Margot Margot The Wait illiam S.York: of (New The Museum Rubin The Wait or Let your students know that this W . or Margot subject that clearly interested Picasso was subject that clearly interested Margot “Ma Jolie.” A 11 . to have them back up their responses with visual to have them back up their responses e Be sur . moment to look at Ask your students to consider how these thr a . e rt the imagery. out Braque, by works comparable For as his such in the Collection ofin the Collection of The Museum Art Modern om a popular song , himself. associated with a figure whom Picasso often this way, In o so fr o icass t “Cubism is an art of dealing primarily with forms.” Its subjects, however, P d olie” (1911–12), please visit www.moma.org/collection. . of the figures. their interpretation impact Ask how these stylistic differences ie r t harlequin Girl before a Mirror y om the images “Ma J va Gouel, jolie”“Ma whom Picasso had nicknamed pretty one), (My a phrase 932). the others, Like figure, this painting depicts a female was a and the sitter was painted in 1911 to 1912, to between in 1911 was painted E the center, to recede. of the painting appears while the parameter At the top center, ds (1 and . not only the subjects of the portraits, that students consider Ensure also the ways but d with fellow painter Georges Braque. Together they developed a new way to represent Braque. Georges to with painter new way a they fellow developed Together nd, e ie lo Picasso, in quoted irror ab Jolie,” before a Mirror Mirror lfr many styles in which Picasso worked communicate in different ways. communicate in different many styles in which Picasso worked painting Ask which the most about the subject.reveals the least. Ask which one reveals Ask why. portraits of women. portraits evidence fr is an image of a female figure holding a guitar.Askis an image of a female figure out them to look closely and try to make the figure. and brown, in shades of gray Although the painting is predominantly making it hard background, the from to distinguish the figure concentrated the lines and geometric forms are towar on tilting shoulders; to rest out a head that appears one can make diagonal lines sloping down to the left suggest an arm; in the bottom right corner, point downward. four fingers Other items, which connote music and a café setting, and musical notation clef from include a treble the wor Ask your students if they see any stylistic relationship between Ask your students if they see any stylistic relationship Picasso once said, he continued, of interest.” “must be a source Ask your students to tak Ask your students which painting reveals more about its subject in their opinion. about more painting reveals Ask your students which Ask why. between differences Ask your students to think about the stylistic Ask your students to consider similarities between Ask your students to in which they are painted,in which they are to the given sub- the choices Picasso made with respect including pose,ject’s position, and surroundings. P anc dern Art,dern 1972), 70. M om a popular song at the time. a popular song om During this period, in southern Picasso was working o r ir Picasso hoped to break down form into interlocking geometric interlocking shapes.Although into form down break Picasso hoped to their work decipher, rather abstract difficult to seems and is often that they Picasso and Braque felt in fact depicting life, modern were in the perplexing their audience involve and hoped to puzzle as the • Man withMan Guitar • fr F them, around the world which an art called pejoratively critic later “Ma Jolie” “Ma g • a • • • The woman in this painting is Marie-Thérèse Walter, painting in this is Marie-Thérèse The woman of one girlfriends, Picasso’s who of many appears in this time. his paintings from this portrait In Marie-Thérèse, who was at the time,possibly pregnant looks at herself a mirror. in reflec- and her Marie-Thérèse But not identical, are mirror tion in the suggesting a symbolic duality, that is, sides different two of character. her transitioning Marie-Thérèse as a young interpreted This painting often is maturity. to innocence from of is reminiscent in the background pattern The diamond the ofcostume a in the painting.Picasso is also symbolically present 11. M . Girl a Mirror before

ACTIVITIES ACTIVITIES 1. small of groups into students Organize your five. or four sketch. an object to group each Give paper. colored plain or on sketch sit in a to group may in each students the students Ask Your perspective. a different the object so they made have around each circle have the students After sketches,quick pieces.As five or four their drawings into tear them have a group, students have an abstract into composition.Ask the pieces and layer what has hap- combine consider to them subject of the pened to their sketch. If not someone to the finished product they showed in the project,involved the subject of would be recognizable? their composition 2. plan a portrait to students of your Ask they someone know. think about the to them Ask costume, expression, pose, in their portrait. include to they and background intend them Ask if consider to they that is abstract. one will a portrait or create is representational that if Ask the person ideas include to they will attempt or focus primarily looks what the person like on might be contemplating, in Walter as Picasso did with Marie-Thérèse

LESSONS 16