Bust of a Faun
Pablo Ruiz y Picasso
Spanish, 1881–1973
Oil on paper mounted on canvas (1946)

"Pablo Picasso expressed the youthful innocence of this faun through the creature’s sweet smile, quirky eyes, and mismatched ears. The half human–half goat is depicted in a geometric pattern that suggests a harlequin, a theatrical trickster character. Picasso was fascinated with hybrid and mythical creatures, often portraying himself in such guises. He understood them as embodying the rational and irrational forces that live within us."

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