a copying study #11 "La Celestina"

 

 "La Celestina"

   Celestina

  1903

  Pablo Picasso

October 17, 2025

14:52-15:40

(48min)

This expression might not sound right for a master's painting, but I think Picasso's Celestina is cool - unbelievably cool. 

And what truly unbelievable is that Picasso was only 22 when he painted it. No way.

And I found that the cool Celestina was one of those works you’d better not try to copy lightly.

This piece (above) is my twelfth attempt. I can't say I am satisfied with it, but I gave up - almost like surrendering.

What I've learnt through this 'copying study' is that as long as I just try to sketch a painting from a book,  I can’t make it to the end — I always get lost somewhere in the middle.

If I want to copy the painting of an apple, I can't complete it unless I try to draw a real apple - one that  doesn't even exist in front of me. 

And in this case, it's not an apple.

It's an old one-eyed woman - looking straight at me.

That makes it more than tough. It's like opening a door you'd rather not open.

But I did open it, and this is the result.

And it was worth trying.

“A life of going to see the things you can only see if you go beyond that door.”

- fragments from a Copying Study

10/12 13:52-13:59

              10/13 10:32-10:45

10/13 10:45-11:09

10/13 11:10-11:29

10/13 11:29-12:19

10/14 13:38-16:09

10/16  14:21-14:36

10/16 14:36-14:53

10/16 14:53-15:18

10/17  

10:40-11:08

14:00-14:20

10/17  14:00-14:52