Image: Musée National Picasso-Paris / Public Domain
View source →Figures on a Beach
Pablo Picasso, 1931
Technical Details
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
130 × 195 cm (51.2 × 76.8 in)
Style
Surrealism
Decade
1930s
About This Work
Figures on a Beach depicts two monumental, biomorphic figures on a beach — their bodies reduced to abstract, bone-like forms that seem simultaneously organic and geological. The figures are engaged in an ambiguous interaction — are they embracing, fighting, or simply coexisting? The painting is one of the most extreme examples of Picasso's Surrealist transformation of the human figure.
Painted in 1931, Figures on a Beach belongs to the series of beach paintings that Picasso made in the late 1920s and early 1930s. The biomorphic figures — inspired by Surrealist automatism and Picasso's own experiments with bone-like forms — represent one of the most radical transformations of the human figure in the history of art.
Current Location
Musée National Picasso-Paris, Paris, France
Public Collection — Open to visitors
Visit museum website →Valuation & Provenance
2026 Estimated Value
$40–60 million (est.)
* Estimates are based on comparable auction results and market analysis. Not a formal appraisal.
Last Known Sale
No public auction record — held in permanent museum collection
Keywords
Continue Exploring
Related Artworks
Chosen for shared style, era, medium, subject, or date.
Bather Opening a Cabin
1928 · same style · same era
The Acrobat
1930 · same style · same era
Figures by the Sea (The Kiss)
1931 · same style · same era
Figures at the Seaside (Figures au bord de la mer)
1931 · same style · same era
Reclining Nude
1932 · same style · same era
Bullfight: Death of the Toreador
1933 · same style · same era
Shop Related Products
If you love this surrealist period masterpiece, explore these curated books and resources on Amazon.
Picasso: A Biography by John Richardson
Comprehensive biography exploring Picasso's life and artistic evolution
The Weeping Woman Art Print
Striking Surrealist portrait from Picasso's emotional period
Picasso: A Life Documentary
Comprehensive documentary chronicling Picasso's entire artistic journey
As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Each product link is unique to help us track which recommendations resonate most with our visitors.