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©Pablo Picasso - Bust of Woman with Hat. Dora 1939

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From Fondation Beyeler, Switzerland:
Whereas other depictions of Dora Maar in the Fondation such as Femme qui pleure and Femme assise dans un fauteuil show her as a universal figure for projecting a world marked by suffering and fear, in this further work by Picasso in the collection he seeks to portray her again with the focus more on her individual character. He uses the interaction of pale face and background contrasting with dark hat and hair in Buste de femme au chapeau (Dora) to define new contours capable of revealing fresh facets in Dora’s countenance. Besides the undeniably cheerful tone of this new vision of human physiognomy, the expression in Dora’s eyes in this small masterpiece dazzles with the alert presence of a woman who as Picasso’s partner and a distinguished photographer in her own right emerged as an important witness of a disturbing age.