Bust of Young Woman in Three-Quarter View (Buste de jeune femme en trois quarts)

Bust of Young Woman in Three-Quarter View (Buste de jeune femme en trois quarts) by Pablo Picasso is a foundational example of the artist’s early explorations in printmaking, executed using the demanding woodcut technique. Created in 1906, this design marks a critical transitional moment following the gentler aesthetics of the Blue and Rose Periods, demonstrating Picasso's burgeoning interest in Primitivism and the severe geometric simplification of form that would soon lead to Cubism. Although the wood block was carved in 1906, the impression held in major collections was notably printed later, in 1933.

The subject is rendered with characteristic simplicity and force, defining the young woman’s features through stark, carved lines inherent to the woodcut medium. Picasso’s aesthetic during this time was heavily influenced by Iberian sculpture, characterized by a formal rigor and reduction of facial anatomy into essential, block-like masses. The handling of the three-quarter view emphasizes volumetric structure and bold contouring over realistic detail. This Spanish artist utilized the inherent density and high contrast offered by the relief print process to achieve a powerful, almost monumental presence in the portrait. The heavy lines around the eyes and jawline anticipate the formal vocabulary that would dominate his revolutionary work in the subsequent years.

The choice of the woodcut medium underscores Picasso’s early engagement with diverse materials and methods beyond traditional oil painting, establishing the conceptual framework for his approach to the graphic arts throughout his career. While the artistic concept belongs firmly to 1906, the later printing date ensured that these pivotal early prints reached a wider audience. The inclusion of this important work in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art confirms its significance in tracing the complex trajectory of modern art from its nascent stages.