Monstrosity in European Art: A reflection on the role of Monstrosity in 19th century paintings

The Weeping Woman (1937)

          The Weeping Woman is a famous cubist painting of Picasso's depicting a woman crying in an abstract frame. The painting primarily reflects and attempts to recreate the feeling of sorrow that Picasso saw in his mistress Dora Maar. The painting is also a modern allusion to “The Mater Dolorosa” or weeping virgin which is a traditional figure in Spanish art.
          I found The Weeping Woman interesting for its combination of subject matter and style which monstrously expresses a very human emotion. Cubism as a style can be seen as a monstrous art that attempts to reflect emotions and concepts back onto humanity. This can be seen in The Weeping Woman since its depiction of sorrow is potent even if we don’t really see the woman in the painting as being properly human. Picasso is following in the footsteps of Montaigne in trying to find the monstrous inside of himself and others which blends perfectly into his art which expresses emotion in a brutal state that only makes it more fascinating to observe.
 

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