Woman combing her Hair

This is a sublime example of Picasso’s draughtsmanship and perhaps the single greatest drawing in the collection. Any examination of Picasso’s work cannot ignore the importance his relationships with women had on his artistic development. Fernande Oliver is widely seen as Picasso’s first great love. They met in 1904 and they lived together from 1905 until 1912. This drawing from 1906 predates the cubist experimentation of the following year. This tender portrayal retains a form of neo-classicism but already demonstrates an interest in African and Iberian sculpture. The composition and, in particular, the posture powerfully translate the latent energy bound up in so-called ‘primitive’ sculpture, which Picasso had just discovered. The stylised facial features with large almond-shaped eyes are delivered with economy but demonstrate the artist’s tenderness towards his subject.

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Calvin Winner, Head of Collections, Sainsbury Centre