Musée national Picasso-Paris
© Sucesión Picasso, VEGAP, Madrid, 2023
The painting Two Women Running on the Beach, painted during the summer of 1922 in Dinard, captures the essence of joie de vivre and feminine beauty.
In this work, Picasso portrays two women joyfully running along the beach. Their voluptuous bodies and exaggerated gestures convey a sense of energy and freedom. The influence of the Mediterranean environment and the serene atmosphere of the coast are evident in the warm color palette and in the treatment of the background, where small clouds interrupt the blue sky.
In the summer of 1922 Picasso was living in Dinard, an elegant seaside resort on the Breton coast of France. With his wife Olga, a dancer with the Ballets Russes, and their son Paulo, Picasso enjoyed the serenity and beauty of the coast. Away from the hustle and bustle of life in Paris, he found inspiration in the sunlight, the seascape and beach activities.
During his stay, the artist let himself be carried away by various sources of inspiration. On the one hand, he was captivated by a 16th century engraving entitled La Nymphe de Fontainebleau, which depicted a woman seated next to an amphora from which water was gushing. This image served as the starting point for his first sketches, in which a woman held a similar jar. He was also influenced by the Maenads of Dionysus, figures from ancient Greek mythology who danced in a trance-like state.
Mannerism, a 16th century artistic movement, also influenced the creative process of this work. Picasso challenged the academic rules of perspective and realistic proportions, lengthening necks, enlarging certain parts of the body and shrinking heads, creating a sense of distortion and a unique aesthetic. With this technique Picasso prioritized expressiveness over perfection in representation.
The work earned him the commission of the curtain for the Russian ballet Le Train Bleu, which also had the collaboration of prominent artists of the time, such as Serge de Diaghilev, Jean Cocteau and Coco Chanel.
The piece was presented in October at the Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, as part of the exhibition entitled Picasso / Chanel. This exhibition covered the relationship that existed between Pablo Picasso and Gabrielle Chanel, as well as their joint collaboration on two memorable occasions: one for the creation of Antigone with the participation of Jean Cocteau, and the other for the famous Russian ballet Le Train Bleu.
Sources:
Musée national-Picasso Paris - https://www.museepicassoparis.fr/fr/deux-femmes-courant-sur-la-plage
Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza: https://www.museothyssen.org/exposiciones/picasso_chanel