In the summer of 1905, 23-year-old Picasso made a brief visit to the Netherlands. Seeking a place less cosmopolitan than his busy adopted home of Paris, he journeyed to the rural northern towns of Alkmaar, Hoorn and Schoorl, where he was enamoured with the picturesque houses, windmills and women in traditional West Frisian costumes and caps. While his time in Holland was brief, and few works from the trip survive, the painting La Belle Hollandaise marks Picasso’s transition from the subdued hues of his ‘Blue’ period to the brighter, happier ‘Rose’ works. He is said to have been impressed by the good health and stature of the Dutch girls he met and greatly admired their rosy skin and calm natures.

Little is known about the Dutch woman depicted here, except that she was from a small village, and sat – naked but for her floddermuts (lace cap) – for Picasso. Working quickly in water-based paints and chalk on card, he has captured an intimate and relaxed moment with this ‘beautiful Dutch girl’. An inscription at the top left suggests that the work was a gift to Italian ceramicist Paco Durio, Picasso’s friend and neighbour at the Bateau-Lavoir artists’ residence in Montmartre.

Behind the scenes: La Belle Hollandaise

Find out more about Picasso’s portrait of this unknown Dutch woman, including how this work was made and how QAGOMA acquired it in 1959.