''Ma Jolie'' is a 1911–1912 Cubist painting by

Pablo Picasso Pablo Ruiz Picasso (25 October 1881 – 8 April 1973) was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist and Scenic design, theatre designer who spent most of his adult life in France. One of the most influential artists of the 20th ce ...

. It relies on abstract meanings and concepts such as signified and signifier. It is now in the

Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It plays a major role in developing and collecting modern art, and is often identified as one of ...

in New York City. It is not to be confused with the 1914 Picasso of the same name, now in the

Indianapolis Museum of Art The Indianapolis Museum of Art (IMA) is an encyclopedic art museum located at Newfields, a campus that also houses Lilly House, The Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park: 100 Acres, the Gardens at Newfields, the Beer Garden, and more. It ...

. Picasso's mistress at the time he created this painting was Eva Gouel (whose real name was Marcelle Humbert). His nickname for her was ''Ma Jolie''; she died in 1915. ''Ma Jolie'' was also the refrain of a popular song of the day. The picture also implies a bowl of fruit situated on top of the woman's head, alluding to the abstract roots of his works before the onset of the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

References

{{Pablo Picasso Paintings by Pablo Picasso 1912 paintings Paintings in the Museum of Modern Art (New York City) Portraits of women