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Woman with a Book

Paris, spring 1909
Not on view
The image of a woman with a pensive gaze, opened book, and head weighing heavily on one hand is a classic image of melancholy, as seen in works by Albrecht Dürer (1471–1528), El Greco (1540/41–1614), and Camille Corot (1796–1875), among others. The head casts a prominent shadow against what appears to be a back wall, suggesting that Woman with a Book began as an interior scene. The trees and mountains at upper left were added later, producing a contradictory reading of both the pictorial space and the narrative scene.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Woman with a Book
  • Artist: Pablo Picasso (Spanish, Malaga 1881–1973 Mougins, France)
  • Date: Paris, spring 1909
  • Medium: Oil on canvas
  • Dimensions: 36 1/4 × 28 3/4 in. (92.1 × 73 cm)
  • Classification: Paintings
  • Credit Line: Leonard A. Lauder Cubist Collection, Gift of Leonard A. Lauder, 2025
  • Object Number: 2025.616.28
  • Rights and Reproduction: © 2025 Estate of Pablo Picasso / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
  • Curatorial Department: Modern and Contemporary Art

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