Spanish, 1881-1973
Head of a Woman (Tête de femme), also called Head of Jacqueline, 1957 Painted steel, 30 3/8 x 13 3/4 x 10 1/8 in. (77.2 x 34.9 x 25.7 cm.)
Raymond and Patsy Nasher Collection, Dallas, Texas
1997.A.05
Label Text
Head of a Woman is one of a number of folded sheet-metal sculptures that Picasso made during the 1950s and 60s. The subject of this work is Picasso's wife at the time, Jacqueline Roque, although the radical differences in facial features from one point of view to another invests the portrait with multiple personalities. The sharp edges and intersecting planes of the head slice through space and suggest rather than define volume. Seen in conjunction with the related painting by Picasso on display nearby, as well as his large concrete sculpture installed outside, this work demonstrates Picasso's lifelong practice of exploring a compositional idea in a number of different mediums.