Composition for Bal de la Mer

During the 1920s, Picasso and his wife, Olga Khokhlova, were regular guests at the elaborate themed balls hosted by Count Etienne de Beaumont at his Parisian home. The count asked guests to come in fanciful and creative costumes, and he often asked contemporary artists to contribute decorations. For an ocean-themed ball in 1928, Picasso created this composition, which blends traditional symbolism with simplified, abstract forms. Two outlined figures stand against an ocean background represented by short, parallel lines. The figure with a tiny head holds a fish and stands on trident-like feet, suggesting it may be the god Neptune. Meanwhile, the figure on the right, possibly female, bristles with sharp, shell-like projections.

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