Picasso painted Weeping woman in October 1937 only a few months after he had completed the mural Guernica, a chilling depiction of the bombing of the town of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War. The weeping woman is an iconic image of unspeakable grief and pain, representing universal suffering. It also reflects Picasso's own emotional response to the break up of his relationship with his mistress, Dora Maar, who was the model for the painting. The fragmented features and the use of acid green and purple serve to heighten the emotional intensity of the painting.   Campion Catholic High School, Liverpool, UK © 2003 All rights reserved. Page design by P.Hughes