Picasso’s Sublime Tragedy

Pablo Picasso’s Tragedy (1903) depicts three figures huddled on a beach—presumably a family. We see nothing of the ‘tragedy’ itself, however; no trace of specific disaster remains, and we are left to speculate about what series of events may have led to their misfortune. The focus of the painting centers us on the figures themselves. The man and woman are turned inwards in an inherently familial pose, but the distance between them and their downcast eyes reveal their inability... Read More