ticketsMember | Make a donation

Head of a Woman (Fernande)

Clay original: Paris, autumn 1909; Plaster model: Paris, late 1910; Bronze cast: Foundry Désiré or Florentin Godard, Paris, made to order for Ambroise Vollard between July 27, 1926, and March 11, 1927
Not on view
In bronze, Head of a Woman is energized by light. Highlights and shadows across its projecting planes suggest shifting volumes that convey different points of view. The tilt of the head and curve of the neck imply movement. The photographer Alfred Stieglitz was one of the first to acquire a bronze cast of the work, which he photographed and later published in his journal Camera Work. The sculpture’s publication there as well as its appearance in the influential New York presentation of the International Exhibition of Modern Art, known as the Armory Show, in 1913 garnered it great attention. This cast, from Foundry Désiré or Florentin Godard in Paris, is one of several that Picasso’s dealer Ambroise Vollard ordered to meet his clients’ interests after World War I.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Head of a Woman (Fernande)
  • Artist: Pablo Picasso (Spanish, Malaga 1881–1973 Mougins, France)
  • Date: Clay original: Paris, autumn 1909; Plaster model: Paris, late 1910; Bronze cast: Foundry Désiré or Florentin Godard, Paris, made to order for Ambroise Vollard between July 27, 1926, and March 11, 1927
  • Medium: Bronze
  • Dimensions: 16 1/4 × 9 3/4 × 10 1/2 in. (41.3 × 24.8 × 26.7 cm)
  • Classification: Sculpture
  • Credit Line: Leonard A. Lauder Cubist Collection, Gift of Leonard A. Lauder, 2021
  • Object Number: 2021.33
  • Rights and Reproduction: © 2025 Estate of Pablo Picasso / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
  • Curatorial Department: Modern and Contemporary Art

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
291, No. 1, March 1915, Pablo Picasso Spanish
291, No. 1, March 1915
Multiple artists/makers
1915
Picasso, His Work and His Public, Pablo Picasso Spanish, Etching
Picasso, His Work and His Public
Multiple artists/makers
1968
Head of a Woman, Pablo Picasso Spanish, Pastel on paper
Head of a Woman
Pablo Picasso
1921
Mother and Child by a Fountain, Pablo Picasso Spanish, Oil on canvas
Mother and Child by a Fountain
Pablo Picasso
1901
Reclining Bather with a Book, Pablo Picasso Spanish, Graphite on paper
Reclining Bather with a Book
Pablo Picasso
1921

Related Content

Perspectives

Articles, audio, and video from The Met's online magazine.

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.