In Femme nue à la source (Nude Woman at the Spring), Picasso reinterprets the timeless theme of the bather, transforming a classical motif into a bold modernist vision. A nude female figure, her body bent in an almost sculptural pose, leans forward toward a flowing spring of water. The surrounding environment is suggested through abstracted forms—tree trunks, rocks, and cascades—that frame the central act of cleansing and renewal.

Executed in 1963, this linocut reflects Picasso’s late-career mastery of the medium. He uses a restrained palette of earthy browns and velvety blacks to emphasize contour and volume, achieving a remarkable sense of depth and movement with minimal means. The interplay of thick black lines and warm tonal passages gives the figure a monumental presence, while the stylized arcs and striations imbue the scene with rhythm and energy.

The bather has long been a central subject in Western art, from ancient sculpture to Renaissance painting and Impressionist studies. Picasso reinvents it here with his signature distortions of form: the woman’s body is exaggerated and reconfigured, both sensual and primal, embodying nature itself. By situating her at the spring, Picasso evokes themes of fertility, purity, and timeless renewal, while also exploring the fluid relationship between the human body and the natural world.

The choice of subdued, earthy tones reinforces the organic atmosphere of the composition. Rather than bright colors, Picasso relies on tonal contrast to capture the vitality of water and flesh, suggesting that the scene is less about external beauty and more about elemental power. The work reflects Picasso’s fascination with mythic archetypes and his ongoing dialogue with tradition, recasting the classical nude through the radical lens of modernism.

As part of the limited edition of 50, Femme nue à la source stands as a testament to Picasso’s inventive energy in his 80s, merging technical innovation with themes as old as art itself. For more information about Pablo Picasso’s Femme nue à la source (Nude Woman at the Spring for sale, contact our galleries using the form below.