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The Bullfight Theme |
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One of the most important themes in the 1934 drawing is that of the Spanish bullfight.
The female figure in front of the bull is dressed in the costume of a torrera, a female bullfighter.
The torrera's clasped hands appear to be holding a small striped 'muleta' or cape.
The bull's close proximity to the torrera suggests that they have joined forces, she appears to be leading the bull onto the stage. They are advancing on the female on the left in a form of attack. This interpretation is supported by drawings from 1934 in which Picasso's wife Olga attacks Marie-Thérèse, and Picasso's poems of 1935 in which Marie-Thérèse is characterised as the wounded horse in the corrida. There are indications in the drawing that Marie-Therese, who represents the wounded horse, is also being symbolically gored by the horns of the bull. The 'U' shaped darts digging into her shoulder would seem to symbolise multiple pairs of bull's horns. They appear to emanate from behind the female on the right.
There is also the suggested shadowy form of a horses head painted in wash in the darkened area on the left hand figure's shoulder. The heavily emphasised 'Z' shape running through her eyes and digging into her neck appears to be part of a concealed 'Picazzo' signature for there is a similar although less emphasised 'Z' under the neck of the right hand figure.
Between the central figure and the figure on the left there seems to be a barrera, a protective barrier usually built into the perimeter of a bullring. There also seem to be two concealed or subliminal images of bulls heads in the composition. In the upper area, there is an impression of a bull staring out at the observer
and in the lower area, there is the impression of a silhouetted bull's head in the black wash.
The emphasised shapes and symmetry of the horns belonging to each of these forms suggest that they are intentionally concealed images. © Mark Harris 1996
For further information about the bullfight in Picasso's art of the 1930's read: Guernica: History, Transformations, Meanings by Hershel B. Chipp, published by Thames and Hudson, 1989. Themes of the 1934 Drawing
Next Section: Symbolism in the 1934 Drawing |
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© Mark Harris 1996 (content), Simon Banton 1996 (design) In general copyright of works by Pablo Picasso are the property of the heirs to the Pablo Picasso estate |
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Running vertically down the right hand side of the drawing is a profile of a huge bull that has been stylised to accommodate other features in the composition.
As far as the figure on the left is concerned the concealed 'Z' would seem to allude to the tradition of blindfolding and severing of the vocal chords of the horse. This has strong symbolic associations with the 'silenced' and 'blind' relationship Picasso enforced on Marie-Thérèse in the 1920's and 1930's.
