Fractured Planes

The painting that I chose can be connected to Pablo Picasso, Les Demoiselles d’Avignon. They both possess certain similarities and differences with each other.

Similarities

They both have the technique of cubism. Cubism is reconstructing of three dimensional form and shattering that form and then placing those fragments back on two dimensional surface. The artists of both the paintings use cubism and prevents the use of linear perspective. There is no chiaroscuro i.e the contrast between the light and shadows in the paintings. The main idea depicted in both the paintings is the sexuality and the female nude. The bodies of the figures in both the paintings are pointy and sharp with the form of angular geometry. Although, there is no space behind the figures, there is some sense of illusion in both the paintings. In both the paintings, the female nudes have turned their gaze outward as if they want men to directly focus their attention towards them.

Differences

The colors used in both the paintings are quite different. Picasso uses very dull and light colors whereas in the other painting the artist uses very bright colors like red, blue, green, etc. The other difference is the use of brushstrokes. Picasso uses very irregular and heavy brushstrokes which takes away the fineness in the painting. On the other hand, the painting that I chose has very light and thin brushstrokes which makes the panting very fine and regular. The painting that I chose looks more modern because the women in the painting has a curly hair and wears tights and heels whereas in Picassso’s paintings, women are bare feet with simple hair.

The idea conveyed from these paintings is the sexuality and the female nudity. I can connect it to something that I learned in the Classics class. Venus was always shown as a nude figure. She was considered as a Goddess of beauty, sex, love, nudity and even prostitution in Roman mythology. Therefore, the nude figures in these paintings reminded me of  Goddess Venus.

Gurleen Kaur, Team Venus