Girl before a Mirror (1932), one the most extraordinary works among MoMA's vast collection of Pablo Picasso's paintings and sculptures, takes the traditional artistic theme of a woman before her mirror and reinvents it in radically modern terms. The girl's profile and blonde hair identify her as Marie-Thérèse Walter, the artist's lover, muse, and a profoundly transformative presence in both his life and art, but the painting is far from a conventional portrait. Its dazzling jewel-like colors, boldly contoured shapes, and surface patterning transform the girl and her shadowy reflection into an image both captivating and strange. An essay by curator Anne Umland explores the painting in depth and describes the circumstances of its creation: the artist's private life, his practice as a sculptor, his rivalry with other artists both living and dead, and his concern, at age fifty-one, about his contemporary relevance and artistic legacy. 48 pp.; 35 illus.

 

Each volume in the One on One series is a sustained meditation of a single work from the collection of The Museum of Modern Art. A richly illustrated and lively essay illuminates the subject in detail and situates that work within the artist’s life and career as well as within broader historical contexts. This series is an invaluable guide for exploring and interpreting some of the most beloved artworks in the Museum’s collection. View the entire series here.