My whole life has been nothing more than a continuous struggle against Reaction and the death of art.
Pablo PicassoRead
When you start with a portrait and try to find pure form by abstracting more and more, you must end up with an egg.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The process of abstraction leads to fundamental forms, akin to finding simplicity in complexity.
In this quote, Picasso suggests that when an artist begins with a detailed representation, such as a portrait, and progressively abstracts elements, they ultimately arrive at the basic, pure form, symbolized by an egg. This reflects the idea that art can distill complex subjects into their most essential shapes, emphasizing simplicity and fundamental beauty.
Themes
AbstractionArtSimplicityFormPortrait
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in an art class discussion about the process of abstraction in painting.
More from Pablo Picasso
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You have to have an idea of what you are going to do, but it should be a vague idea.
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I paint the way someone bites his fingernails; for me, painting is a bad habit because I don't know nor can I do anything else.
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