Head of a Woman XIII [Tête de une Femme XIII]

In a sketch—such as this one by Pablo Picasso for his large-scale and untitled sculpture that now sits in the plaza of Richard J. Daley Center in downtown Chicago—ideas of scale, form, content, and relationship to site are developed. What might not have been anticipated in this rendering was the public outcry after the 1967 unveiling, which was summed up by Sun Times columnist Mike Royko. “Interesting design, I’m sure,” he wrote, “But the fact is, it has a long stupid face and looks like some giant insect that is about to eat a smaller, weaker insect.”