Les Demoiselles D Avignon Summary

Anna Chave starts this article with a summary of the history and public opinion on Les Demoiselles d’Avignon. She talks about how something like the Les Demoiselles, which challenges norms can be misunderstood and belittled by pubic opinion. The piece was created in 1907 a time where many hot button issues are addressed in this painting. Chave addresses these issues and shows how Les Demoiselles d’Avignon has been viewed as sexist, racist, heterosexist, and neocolonialist. Chave continues to talk about how this paining challenged the foundation of art at that time and how the critics shaped the public view of this painting. As I read the first couple paragraphs I find her objective, which is “to examine where Les Demoiselles d’Avignon positions some of its unanticipated viewers; to explore the paining from, as it were, unauthorized perspectives.” (598) Throughout this article she focusses on a few main points, which include gender, …show more content…
Chave builds her opinion by drawing evidence from influential figures such as: Rubin, Steinberg, and Freud. Chave brings in elements of physiology and sociology and relates them to the piece. Also, she draws from some of her pass experiences to try and shine some “new light” on this painting. Chave breaks down every detail of the painting, analysis them, and relates it to different sources. To summarize her argument, I view it in one way, that this painting was ground breaking and scared many. I believe Chave views Picasso, Les Demoiselles d’Avignon as a piece that was initially misunderstood. It was a piece of work that was ahead of this time and touched on issues that challenged the foundation of art, which at the time was comprised of white males. Essentially, this painting introduced and evoked emotions that was too much at once and no one was ready for it. This is one of the reasons why this painting is credited with starting