Picasso's Nude on a Beach

Ipad rendering of Picasso's Nude on a Beach

It's June and Summer is finally here! Picasso's beach paintings fit the Summer mood perfectly. The viewer can feel the hot sand, the cool water, and the playfulness of Picasso's lines. Every painting is fun and feels like a vacation.

The series of beach paintings I love most are those picturing the beginning of Picasso's love affair with Marie-Therese Walter. She was only 17 years old and Picasso was 46 and married with children. The age difference is startling, but Picasso must have been magnetic, considering his many love affairs. They met on the beach and Picasso was instantly enthralled. They had a secret love affair, there on the beach, hiding away from his wife Olga. This painting in particular shows how this secret became his work. Many of the paintings are quite erotic.

Picasso obviously loved the beach. He spent a lot of time in the South of France with his family and his many lovers. It all comes out in his work. The beach was obviously a great inspiration to him.