

Drawn with a sure and free-flowing ink line, the image of the reclining nude on the recto image of the present work is one of pure sensuality like the odalisques of Ingres and Matisse. The flower, the centre of the composition, is, surrounded by the serpentine lines of her oversized breasts, eyes and lips. On the verso image, the female figure writhes in ecstasy and the male figure, clasping woman's face in both hands, could be interpreted as the ageing artist himself reclaiming the sexual stamina of his youth. The contortions of the figure, whose sharp profile resembles that of Jacqueline, call to mind some of Picasso's most sensual depictions of the voluptuous Marie-Thérèse from the 1930s. In the 1960s and 1970s, his work was based on compositions inspired by his mistresses’ features, and often reflected the intense fluctuations in their relationships. The artist would isolate the elements of his subjects that most fascinated him, and represent them with great freedom and spontaneity. The striking straightforwardness of these two drawings well illustrates Picasso’s motto: “art can only be erotic”.