Three Trapeze Performers

Discussion

FROM THE BARNES FOUNDATION’S CATALOG

Throughout his career, the possibilities of the human body in motion captivated Picasso. This sheet seems to represent the same slender acrobat in different poses, turning the "three" trapeze artists into a trope that recalls the Three Graces by allowing Picasso to present multiple angles of the body on a two-dimensional surface. Here, the artist does not draw any attention to setting, costuming, or color, relying on the economy of contour to isolate his formal investigations.

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