“Weeping Woman (PABLO PICASSO,1937)
Weeping Woman is based on an image of a woman holding her dead child. It is taken
from Picasso’s anti-war mural, Guernica. Picasso painted both works during the Spanish civil
war(1936-39). It was in response to the bonding of the Basque town of Guernica. This universal
image of suffering is painted in the flattened style Picasso’s early analytical cubism,
characterized by the use of angular and overlapping fragments of the subjects face, as if it were
painted from different viewpoints simultaneously.
Weeping Woman is an iconic image of unspeakable grief and pain, representing
universal suffering. The fragmented features and the use of acid greer and purple heighten the
painting’s emotional intensity. Picasso frequently used a monochrome or even a grisaille palette
when evoking pain and suffering by contrast. The palette use in ‘’Weeping Woman’’
incorporates all the major colors including: red, yellow, blue, as well as orange, green and
brown. The painting is set mainly of lined and little curves, The mood and visual effect that this
painting portrays can be considered to be suffering, and sadness. Almost all of the lines are thick
with a heavy outline making the woman emotions very clear. The thick lines emphasise her
emotions of the woman very well and almost tell the viewers that Picasso was very sure in the
way he has painted this picture. The women’s facial expressions are emphasized by the great
contrast between the large shapes and smaller shapes. For example the hair which is outlined
with the thick bold, wavy lines, that instantly gives the painting texture. What I love about this
painting is the fact that he uses many different shapes to display the raw emotions of this
weeping woman.
Picasso’s Weeping Woman painting and perhaps hips entire weeping women series are
recognized as one of the most important pieces of artwork not merely because it is painted by
Pablo Picasso, or because he has painted it well and it is worth o fortune. This is because his
painting is actually educational. Picasso wanted us to feel her and understand the painting that
she was going through it was not easy to be a woman during that time since females where often
frowned upon. Picasso demonstrates this painting as he wants the audience to understand her.
The painting relates to the entire female community. This community can understand the
painting and know what Picasso was trying to portray.