Picasso: The Figure

Discover Picasso’s lifelong obsession with the human figure through a richly illustrated, multidisciplinary catalog that redefines his legacy. From myth to modernity, this volume explores how figuration shaped the most iconic works of the 20th century’s greatest artist.

Picasso: The Figure accompanies the exhibition co-organized by the Musée national Picasso–Paris and the Louvre Abu Dhabi. This richly illustrated volume offers an in-depth exploration of one of the central concerns of Pablo Picasso’s oeuvre: the human figure. Tracing the artist’s evolving approach to figuration—from early stylizations and classical revivals to surrealist metamorphoses and his late, urgent works—the book provides a comprehensive, thematic, and transhistorical lens through which to view Picasso’s prolific career.

The catalog brings together masterpieces from the national Picasso collection with iconic works held by the Louvre Abu Dhabi and other major French institutions. Structured around five mythologically inspired sections—Orion, Pygmalion, Minotaur, Deucalion & Pyrrha, and The Picasso Canon—the book follows a broadly chronological progression that highlights the artist’s technical and conceptual innovations across all media: painting, sculpture, drawing, engraving, and ceramics.

In addition to leading Picasso scholars, the volume features essays by historians of the body, anthropologists, and prehistorians, offering fresh perspectives on Picasso’s work and its enduring cultural resonance. Each essay delves into a thematic chapter of the exhibition, unpacking Picasso’s dialogue with mythology, antiquity, and modernity while illuminating his profound influence on the representation of the human form.

With archival photographs, detailed analyses, and striking reproductions, Picasso: The Figure is a scholarly yet accessible resource that redefines our understanding of Picasso’s engagement with figuration. Essential for art historians, students, and enthusiasts alike, this catalog deepens appreciation for an artist whose visions of the human body reshaped the course of modern art.