Stories Behind Prints | The Three Graces by Pablo Picasso
Pablo Picasso’s 1921 lithograph, Sur la Plage II (Trois Nus), invites us into a lighthearted expression of form, intimacy, and a fine ring in the ripple of classical mythology in art. In harmony with other works from Picasso’s neoclassical period, this print harkens back to his adoration for antiquity representing the human body. With a modern interpretation, he reinvents the classical subject. A trio of women intermingled on the shore draws a line to the ancient Greek myth of the Three Graces, a motif revisited across Western art and literature. Examples include the prized Greco-Roman statue housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, its allusion in The Three Citrons by Italian author Giambattista Basile in 1634, and The Three Graces, a series of photographs collected by contemporary artist Peter J. Cohen in 2012.
The Three Graces of Greek mythology were the daughters of Zeus and Eurynome: Aglaea, Euphrosyne, and Thalia—embodiments of beauty, harmony, and joy. Historically represented in woven poses and often nude, the three feminine figures project an ease and a balanced composition. The nature of human bodies creates a conversation between each figure’s individuality and their collective presence, an interplay handled by Picasso in this lithograph. The composition is asymmetric but without tension; the figures’ posture is relaxed and inviting. The three women’s synchronized gaze to the horizon is harmonious and brings an intuitive flow to the eye.
Sur la Plage II is rendered in Picasso’s characteristic minimalist line work. The succinct and deliberate mark-making belies its depth. The figures have a gestural personality, without distinctive features, playing roles both universal and particular. They evoke timeless archetypes while capturing a fleeting repose. Picasso’s women embody a sense of harmony and intimate familiarity, their postures and gestures intertwined in an almost rhythmic arrangement. Yet, unlike their mythical counterparts, Picasso’s figures are seated on a beach, their bodies grounded and mortal. This subtle shift transforms the conversation from idealized representation to romanticized observation.
In the choice and treatment of the figures, there is a desire to seek beauty, or perhaps… to make-beautiful. With Europe still recovering from the decimation of WWI, the viewer can speculate on the artist’s desire to see things through a restorative lens. A yearning to return to order and clarity is evoked in the simple and clean execution. Classical themes are grounding—an ancient constant, stable in the legacy of Western art. Overlapping the classical theme with a moment, presumably from life, suggests an adoration for the mortal world, an exploration of the human connection: vulnerable and quietly contemplative. The world through the eyes of the artist is made more beautiful. This rich context breathes life into Picasso’s simple illustration, guiding the journey to seek mythology in everyday life, to make the mundane sacred and our lived time precious.
