One of the most interesting aspects of this piece is the fact that it offers very clear evidence of Pablo Picasso's never-ending pursuit of what he deemed to be perfection. It is beyond doubt that 'Lying Female Nude' could have ended up taking on an entirely different form. Previous strokes of the pencil have been erased, but only with limited success, and the viewer can form their own interpretation of how it may have otherwise looked. Picasso's remarkable body of work numbers more than 20,000 pieces of art, many of which feature naked women in different poses. This interesting piece falls loosely into that category, though he appeared to have initially approached the canvas with a degree of uncertainty.
Right throughout his seventy-year career, Picasso was always open to tweaking his distinctive style, while his partiality towards specific colour themes was often in a state of transition. That said, he remained renowned for producing masterpieces that were never an exact interpretation of the subject matter that lay before him as he painted or sketched. 'Lying Female Nude' is likely to have been inspired by a vision in his mind, rather than a naked woman lying in a bed before his eyes. Depending on an individual's interpretation of the partially erased pencil strokes, the lady in the piece may have been somewhat covered by bed sheets before the artist began to make alterations to it.
In classic Picasso style, both her chest and lower back are on display. In fact, if it wasn't for her bare chest, it would be difficult to determine whether the drawing was of a man or a woman; the facial features on display shed little or no light on the sex of the person. There is a distinct lack of romance in this work of art, which again speaks volumes for Picasso's desire to sometimes insist that art should not always appear grandiose and attractive.
