This is a truthful reproduction of Picasso’s earlier portraits of his long term French mistress and model Marie-Thérèse Walter. The use of bright colors and simplified forms reveals Picasso’s turn toward Cubism and development of its concepts and techniques. For those collectors who enjoy Cubist works and particularly those of Picasso this limited edition oil painting would be an Essential Picasso.

The blond hair and blue eyes of Marie-Thérèse stand out against her bright orange French Beret and red background. The contrasting blue and yellow of her clothes contrast boldly against those reds and highlight the Fauvist concepts of strident color that influenced the work of Picasso during the early nineteen hundreds.

Picasso painted many portraits of Marie-Thérèse Walter. Even so, this version has to be among his most colorful and vibrant. Picasso was an artist whose color and forms reflected his emotional responses to his subject: And this is highlighted within this portrait. Picasso’s depiction of young Marie changes as throughout their relationship which ended shortly after he met Dora Maar.

Picasso captures the persona of a person not through intricate detail. Forms and colors are reduced to reveal the essence of the person he is painting: Their persona as a whole – A complete perspective. Being one of his earlier portraits this work is vibrant and vivacious: Surely painted during one of their relationships finer, more passionate moments.