Baboon and Young

Pablo Picasso was always innovative in his approach to art, regardless of the medium in which he was working. As a sculptor, Picasso pioneered the technique of assemblage, constructing works partly or entirely of found objects, both natural and man-made. In Baboon and Young, the artist used toy automobiles, a storage jar, and a car spring to create a playful image of motherhood. The two metal cars, undersides together, are the baboon's head; the round earthenware pot, with its high handles, makes up her torso and shoulders; and the curving steel spring forms her backbone and long tail. The rest of her body and the figure of her child were modeled from clay, and the whole piece was cast in bronze.