One hundred years ago a work was created which set the stage for the genre of art now known as “cubism”. The work was titled Les Demoiselles D’Avigon (The Young Ladies of Avignon in English) painted by Pablo Picasso during the summer of 1907. Known as one of Picasso’s most famous works, Les Demoiselles D’Avignon was a seminal work of the Cubist movement. Through the use of multiple views combined to create the look of a “broken” piece, a trademark of Cubism, Picasso was able to convey a startling feeling of sexual anxiety in this work. However, there is more to the painting than can be seen with the eye. To completely understand the undertones of this work, the history surrounding the painting must be carefully considered.
By the turn of the 20th century, the world was a rapidly changing place. France was at the forefront of colonialism controlling much of the continent of Africa. Merchant ships constantly brought back African tribal artifacts from these colonial strong holds, with Pablo Picasso being one of the collectors. Much of his inspiration for this piece is believed to have come from some of those very masks, some of which he owned and others which were on display in the Musée d’Ethnographie du Trocadéro in Paris. This readily available access to a new and unfamiliar culture supplied the inspirations for this piece as well as many others completed during what has come to be known as Picasso’s “African Period”. The piece originally contained two men, a sailor and a medical student holding a skull which was believed to serve as a reminder of human mortality. However, the men were later deleted, perhaps to intensify the gaze of the five female prostitutes.&nbs ...