Man with a Pipe, 1911, 35-3/4” x 27-7/8”, is a classic example of analytical cubism — the first of three phases of the art style known as cubism. Picasso is recognized as one of the founders of the movement that was greatly inspired by African sculpture, fauvism, and other art forms. Subjects in cubist artwork are first broken up, analyzed, and finally reassembled in an abstract way. Analytical cubism reduces subject matter to basic shapes and then reassembles the two-dimensional shapes into a seemingly three-dimensional representation. Man with a Pipe is put together somewhat like a jigsaw puzzle, but with overlapping as well as interlocking pieces. Portions of an eye, a moustache, and a hand are recognizable in the painting. The oval shape of the canvas itself seems to emphasize the three-dimensional or sculptural qualities of cubism while the subdued brown colors remind the viewer of a dimly lit interior space. Although the cubist movement was short-lived, its influence was strongly felt in the development of twentieth-century painting.

Child Playing with a Toy Truck, 1953, 51-1/4” x 38-1/4”, was completed only a few days after Christmas and seems to capture the feeling of wonderment that many young children experience during that season. A sense of energy pervades the painting through the innocent play of a child while an impression of awe is instilled by what appears to be stars or snowflakes falling. Framed by a mostly green background covered with black organic shapes reminiscent of pine branches, the child bends to play with a toy truck. Although the subject of the artwork lacks great detail, it is defined by a black contour line and is easily identified as a child and toy truck. Child Playing with Toy Truck is more figurative than many of Picasso’s earlier works, but it nonetheless maintains elements of the artist’s distinctive abstract style.

The Studio at La Californie, 1956, 44-7/8” x 57-1/2”, is from a series of paintings that Picasso created in the years 1955-56. The paintings, as the title implies, are of the artist’s studio. In 1955, Picasso purchased a villa in Mougins — a village on a hillside near Cannes on the French Riviera. The villa offered panoramic views of the surrounding hills, valleys, and the Mediterranean Sea. From his vantage point, Picasso painted scenes that showed both interior and exterior views of the studio and its site. The Studio at La Californie, painted during a time of mourning after Matisse’s death, is considered an homage to Matisse and recalls elements of Matisse’s Vence Interiors. Picasso was quoted as saying during this time, “In the end, there is only Matisse.”