In 1905 the young Pablo Picasso (1881–1973) was at a crossroads in his career. With the bleak themes and hues of his Blue Period behind him and Les Demoiselles d’Avignon—the painting that would scandalize the art world—ahead of him, he embarked on the monumental painting Boy Leading a Horse. The boldly outlined subjects, rendered in a stark palette and set in a barren landscape, represent a moment of stylistic upheaval for the artist, whose newfound confidence is reflected in the work’s mysterious central gesture—the boy’s masterful command of the horse despite the absence of reins. An essay by the independent scholar Annemarie Iker looks closely at the painting and its sources, its interpretations, and its life as an object, from the walls of the Paris studio of the avant-garde siblings Gertrude and Leo Stein to its place among the highlights of The Museum of Modern Art’s collection. 48 pp.; 35 illus. 

 

Each volume in the One on One series is a sustained meditation of a single work from the collection of The Museum of Modern Art. A richly illustrated and lively essay illuminates the subject in detail and situates that work within the artist’s life and career as well as within broader historical contexts. This series is an invaluable guide for exploring and interpreting some of the most beloved artworks in the Museum’s collection. View the entire series here.