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The Embrace, 1901
Picasso made a number of studies and paintings on the theme of the embrace, these developed finally, into the more meaningful composition, "La Vie".
The embrace is for Picasso, predominantly a pregnancy motif. It reappears in a complex and surprising way in The Unknown Masterpiece.

The Embrace, 1901Embrace

Around the sketchily rendered embracing couple there are an array of hidden features. These include, a snarling mouth, a flame-like form or an open vulva, with an anus above, and, a laterally inscribed number 13, which is the number of the "Death" card in the Tarot. The presence of these inter-related symbols appears to indicate the death of the a relationship, possibly even the death of a child.

13

Attachments...
JPG image (13 K) The Embrace, 1901
JPG image (14 K) Embrace
JPG image (11 K) 13
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