While visiting the Painting and Sculpture 1 gallery in the Museum of Modern Art, I came across the painting called “Woman Plaiting Her Hair” by Pablo Picasso. It was created in the year of 1906. This painting was painted during Picasso’s Rose Period. During that period, his paintings were more about the happiness and joy he personally experienced in his life. The personal change in his life was influenced from his relationship. Knowing that, the first thing that comes to my mind is that this is probably a reason why his painting was focused on a woman. From my understanding, Picasso perhaps tried to portray women in a very delicate and calm manner. He used light warm looking colors, nothing too bright. He painted the woman in a very detailed manner showing the curvy and feminine side of a woman. There’s something very peaceful about this painting, especially because there’s not too much going on and none of the colors are overly powerful. Therefore, the main focus on this painting goes to the woman itself. It shows feminism at its best because of the bare body of the woman in the canvas, her long beautiful hair, and the way she is sitting and plaiting her hair. It shows a very real and personal scene with things that a female can relate to by looking at this painting. Such as all the physical attributes the woman possess and the act of her braiding her hair. It seems as if the woman is comfortable in her own skin and looks very relaxed sitting in that position and being bare skinned. Although the woman has no expression on her face, she still looks innocent, calm, feminine, and beautiful. This painting may have a lot of ways of looking at it, but what I loved the most about it is the simplicity and realistic side of it. That is why it caught my attention.

Ekramul