This lithographic poster was made at the Atelier Mourlot in Paris, France, in 1955 for an exhibition that was held at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. Picasso’s oil work “Seated Woman in a Blue Hat” from 1944 served as inspiration for the image.

This image seduces the viewer by depicting Picasso’s muse and lover Dora Maar, who was also a talented painter and photographer. Its abstracted iconography is reminiscent of the artist’s influential canvas Les Demoiselles d’Avignon (1907), which cemented his reputation as a major figure in the history of art.

Dora’s arms are framing her body; in one arm she holds a piece of fruit. Her eyes, set on different levels, are large and somewhat haunting. The tight margins and defined, close space of the yellow room enforce this sense of intimacy, hinting at deeper, more complicated layers of emotion.