Picasso, Pablo, Face, 1928

This black lithograph by Pablo Picassoproduced in 1928, shows the profile of Marie-Thérèse Walter at the very beginning of their romance, shortly after their meeting in Paris in Paris in 1927. The face is drawn with simple, harmonious lines, with a serenity that evokes the balance and idealization characteristic of the profiles of classical Greek sculpture, capturing the muse’s gentleness and intimacy.

A few years later, in Blind Minotaur guided by a little girl in the night (1934), Picasso adopts a more symbolic and dramatic language: the young girl, associated with Marie-Thérèse, guides a blind Minotaur, a recurring figure for the artist, translating the complexity and tensions of their relationship. This contrast illustrates the evolution of their bond and the lasting impact of Marie-Thérèse, mother of her daughter Maya, on the artist’s imagination and work.