Reclining Woman Reading

A blonde woman lies across a red surface, propped on her hand as she loses herself in a book. Pablo Picasso painted this scene in 1939, and most experts agree the model is Marie-Thérèse Walter, the lover and muse who shaped so much of his work in these years. She turns up again and again in his paintings from this time, usually drawn with the same soft, curving shapes and calm poses. Her blue dress drapes in gentle waves, and that faraway expression will feel familiar to anyone who has drifted off into a good read on a lazy afternoon.

Picasso's signature approach shows up clearly in her face, which appears from more than one angle at the same time. Both the front and the profile of her nose are visible, a Cubist trick he leaned on his whole career. The palette stays quiet, built from cool blues and soft grays, while the green window in the background adds a welcome spark of color. What comes through most is a feeling of warmth and rest, a mood that matches the tenderness Picasso often brought to the paintings inspired by Marie-Thérèse.