Objective Critique

Les Demoiselles d'Avignon is a proto-Cubist representation of female figures using warm muted tones against a cooler blue background. The analogous color scheme creates a sense of balance in the piece, causing all of the figures to appear on the same plane. A lot of this was accomplished by the Cubist style, which is a way of looking at an object from multiple points of view simultaneously (rather than one fixed perspective). This can be seen through the use of sharp, angular lines to denote the shapes of each figure. For example, look at the core of the woman with opening the curtain; you will see how the breast is differentiated from the ribcage, which is separated from the stomach with a stark change in color.

Shapes are also used to create contrast between the women, which imbues the piece with a deeper meaning. Looking at the women in the center, the face shapes are fairly symmetrical. We are able to identify features from the representative, simple eyes, nose, and mouth, and ear shapes, and recognize them as people. In contrast, the women on the right have faces that are more freely formed and fit less within the confines of representational art. Though some may find this offensive, this difference in depiction does a wonderful job of representing physical variations while evoking cultural differences.

Several elements also play a part in keeping this scene visually intriguing, especially with regards to the 'fluid-perspective' of cubism. There is little difference in value, so shapes do not take on 3D form. Space surrounds each of the forms, but is filled by fairly flat shapes. There is little separation of these figures from the background, giving the viewers a sense that they appear on the same plane. Specifically, look at how dark the shadows of the women on the left are, and yet how the forms overlap. The darkest shadow is cast be the woman who is farthest left, yet she is in front of the woman on her right, who should have a darker cast shadow against the light background. Then, the sheet covers the pelvis of the third woman, so she should be farther in the background, but there is no real sense of depth.

All of these elements combine to create an effective piece that rails against the formal traditions of what had previously been considered high art. Picasso used simple shapes, sharp lines, and analogous colors to make this work unique.