In the early 1930s, Picasso returned to sculptural modeling after a break of some twenty years. He had recently bought a château in Boisgeloup, forty miles outside Paris, and converted a stable on the property into a studio, catalyzing a period of intense sculptural production. Picasso's inspiration for Head of a Woman was his young companion, Marie-Thérèse Walter, whose features, he felt, lent themselves to representation in a classical mode.
Gallery label from Focus: Picasso Sculpture, July 3–November 3, 2008.
