Pregnant Woman

The potted jars and vase that compose this figure's breasts and distended womb are plainly visible and refer, perhaps, to Picasso's own ceramic work. Françoise Gilot, who lived with Picasso from 1946 until 1953, said that she believed the artist made Pregnant Woman as a type of wish fulfillment when she refused to have a third child.

In these x-rays of Pregnant Woman, hollow areas within the sculpture appear in black, while denser areas appear lighter. The white squiggly lines are pieces of sculptor's wire that Picasso used both to provide structural support for the plaster exterior, and to connect the different pieces of the assemblage. The dramatic profile view of the sculpture shows just a thin outline around the woman's breasts and distended abdomen; these parts are made from empty ceramic vessels. Another piece of ceramic material can be seen arching backwards from the top of the woman's forehead down to her shoulder. The silhouetted nails that appear to float throughout the sculpture are actually driven into pieces of wood, which do not appear clearly in the x-ray image.

Credit: Gift of Louise Reinhardt Smith and gift of Jacqueline Picasso (both by exchange)