At 16, Picasso was deeply engaged in the rigorous curriculum of the Llotja School, where mastery of the human form and life drawing was essential.

While this study does not yet reveal the inventive style of Picasso’s later masterpieces, it offers a compelling glimpse into the making of a master. It demonstrates how careful, disciplined practice shaped his understanding of form, proportion, and movement—elements that would underpin his future innovations. The work is both a testament to the academic traditions of the time and a window into the early development of one of the 20th century’s most influential artists.