Manet’s Luncheon on the Grass is one of the most transformative pieces of art, paving the way for other artists to experiment. Henri Matisse’s The Joy of Life and Pablo Picasso’s Les Demoiselles d'Avignon were two important artworks following Manet, continuing to challenge the public on societal and artistic standards.

Lucian Freud’s 1947 painting Girl with a Kitten is a haunting, emotionally charged portrait of his first wife, Kitty Garman. With its muted palette and tightly cropped composition, the work reflects the psychological intensity that defined much of Freud’s art. The image of Kitty gripping a kitten (symbolically linked to herself) suggests themes of self-sabotage, inner turmoil, and emotional entrapment, revealing the complex layers of their fraught relationship and Freud’s deeply personal artistic process.

Artwork analysis of an ancient Egyptian work. Written for the Savannah College of Art and Design by BFA student Carmela Andreozzi.