in
the bottom.
Another
quick notation is "Study of Two Persons, One Seated, One
Standing" of March 1907, (52), where Picasso changed from the
horizontal format compressing the sides into a vertical as he
returned to El Greco's "Holy Trinity." (42A). Here the
wings of the Holy Ghost were united with the angel on the left and
its long dress was sketched. The triangle reappeared at the base as
seen in the line of Christ's right leg and the right leg of the
angel. On careful observation, the image of an Egyptian style figure
may be discerned in the sketch. What is important is that this
signals the change to a vertical design.
In
"Study of Six Persons, Four Women, A Medical Student and a
Sailor" of May 1907, (53), Picasso included the deer skull from
"Diana and Actaeon" (43A) but placed it alongside the
triangle in his study. This skull was a transformation of the left
foot and ankle of Christ in "Holy Trinity." (42A).
The
following examples support my contention that Picasso relied heavily
on El Greco's "Holy Trinity" (42A) at this stage of his
development of "Les Demoiselles d'Avignon." Anomalies exist
in the sketchbooks such as a dog nursing her pups which occurs in
Sketchbook #6, with numerous pages filled with this images that
Picasso transformed from thee folds of the robe of God the Father.
Several sketches named "Study for a Woman in a Riding Habit"
May 1907 are examples of how Picasso played with the broad stern of
the angel in "Holy Trinity," (42A) with what appears to be
a very narrow waist, to create his sketches.
Continuing
to play in Sketchbook #7, Picasso recalled human pyramids in the
vertical progression of the figures in the "Holy Trinity,"
(42A) culminating in the dove symbol of the "Holy Ghost in
several studies. Also from the same Sketchbook #7 we can see where
Picasso "found" an owl in the feathers of the angel with
mauve and green clothes near the dark surround of the wing. The owl,
which he saw there, was addressed on several pages, two of which have
a drawing of owls and birds. He also focused on the unusual bent ear
of this angel in "Page of Studies, Birds and Ear" May-June
1907 (54) and in a reverse profile "Page of Studies, Birds and a
Head of a Woman" May-June 1907. An owl is a symbol for Athena,
the Greek goddess of wisdom who introduced several of the
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