In this episode, our group discusses the Pablo Picasso painting Les Demoiselles d’Avignon; what was so special
about it, why it shocked viewers, and how it ultimately transformed 20th-century art. We break down the painting’s bold use of fractured forms, its controversial depiction of the human body, and the way Picasso pulled from African and Iberian influences to completely rewrite the rules of representation. We also look at the intense reactions it sparked when it was first shown, why even Picasso’s fellow artists were unsettled by it, and how the work paved the way for Cubism and modern abstraction. By the end, we reflect on why this painting still matters today and what it reveals about the evolution of artistic expression.