What are people intrigued by this? It's just a picture.

It was a classic 1900's picture. The visual shapes in this interest high-schoolers and above.

Why is modern art different from traditional art?

While I am not sure what "traditional" means in your question, I think that I can try to answer. Modern art has been released from its previous job of record-keeping, or chronicling whatever view of history the artist (or usually, _patron_) wanted to express and record. Inventions, such as the camera and photographic processes, phonograph, and later tape- and video-recording devices, then even more electronic devices and processes, and now computer devices and computer-assisted processes have all made differences in the way artists can express themselves. Notably, beginning in the latter half of the 1800's, and continuing at the present time, freed from the responsibilites of keeping records, the artists were able to express their art in many unique ways. Also, belief systems are often challenged through art, and art often reflects what is happening in the world around the artist at the time he or she creates the art. People became more mobile and able to communicate over larger distances--physical, political, societal, and cultural changes are reflected in art. By the way, some art historians also make a distinction between "Modern Art" and "Contemporary Art," separating Modern Art into the period of the late 1800's until the 1960's or 1970's, and Contemporary Art into the period of the 1960's or 1970's until today. http://www.lacma.org/sites/default/files/ModernContemporaryArt.pdf

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Course: The Museum of Modern Art > Unit 1

Lesson 8: MoMA Learning

"Girl Before a Mirror" by Pablo Picasso, 1932 | MoMA Education

Name: "Girl Before a Mirror" by Pablo Picasso, 1932 | MoMA Education
Uploaded: 2014-01-23T16:37:01Z
Description: A MoMA educator discusses how she teaches "Girl Before a Mirror" by Pablo Picasso, 1932. Visit MoMA Learning for more teaching and learning resources.

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A MoMA educator discusses how she teaches "Girl Before a Mirror" by Pablo Picasso, 1932. Visit MoMA Learning for more teaching and learning resources. Created by The Museum of Modern Art.

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Indie's point bot
Posted 9 years ago. Direct link to Indie's point bot's post “What are people intrigued...”
What are people intrigued by this? It's just a picture.
Button navigates to signup pageComment on Indie's point bot's post “What are people intrigued...”
(2 votes)
Answer
- Indie
  Posted 9 years ago. Direct link to Indie's post “It was a classic 1900's p...”
  It was a classic 1900's picture. The visual shapes in this interest high-schoolers and above.
  Button navigates to signup page
  (3 votes)
Jon Winder
Posted 10 years ago. Direct link to Jon Winder's post “Why is modern art differe...”
Why is modern art different from traditional art?
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(1 vote)
Answer
- L
  Posted 10 years ago. Direct link to L's post “While I am not sure what ...”
  While I am not sure what "traditional" means in your question, I think that I can try to answer. Modern art has been released from its previous job of record-keeping, or chronicling whatever view of history the artist (or usually, patron) wanted to express and record. Inventions, such as the camera and photographic processes, phonograph, and later tape- and video-recording devices, then even more electronic devices and processes, and now computer devices and computer-assisted processes have all made differences in the way artists can express themselves.
  Notably, beginning in the latter half of the 1800's, and continuing at the present time, freed from the responsibilites of keeping records, the artists were able to express their art in many unique ways. Also, belief systems are often challenged through art, and art often reflects what is happening in the world around the artist at the time he or she creates the art. People became more mobile and able to communicate over larger distances--physical, political, societal, and cultural changes are reflected in art.
  By the way, some art historians also make a distinction between "Modern Art" and "Contemporary Art," separating Modern Art into the period of the late 1800's until the 1960's or 1970's, and Contemporary Art into the period of the 1960's or 1970's until today.
  http://www.lacma.org/sites/default/files/ModernContemporaryArt.pdf
  Button navigates to signup page
  (3 votes)
sadiyo musee
Posted 7 years ago. Direct link to sadiyo musee's post “this is not are stupid an...”
this is not are stupid and crazy girl show me relly aart okay
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(1 vote)
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Dave Kissinger
Posted 9 years ago. Direct link to Dave Kissinger's post “It seems to me that the p...”
It seems to me that the point made that the painting informs us about an event as well as about the perception of the artist must be true of all art..no matter what period or style. It will be interesting to see how non-representational art will be covered.
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(1 vote)
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jessicaparslows
Posted 8 years ago. Direct link to jessicaparslows's post “I'm currently studying, a...”
I'm currently studying, and have been assigned a task in which I will be using this piece as an original for my adaption.
I want to use every piece of the work as possible and so I was hoping if anyone could offer any more insight into the "Harlequin Pattern" she talks about and how he used it because "He considered himself a trickster"
Any insight would be amazing
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Video transcript

- Hi. My name is Grace Hwang and I'm an educator here for school programs. For a student that hasn't really been introduced to modern art, I think this painting can be a little bit challenging. Usually for students, I try to break it down for them, to see that Picasso here is really interested in taking a human body and translating it into colors and shapes. Your eye starts to look for things that are familiar, like oh, I see a face, I see some eyes and then slowly, these different shapes kind of come together and then, you see, like there's this mirror and I think that's really interesting, that moment of discovery for them when they're like, "This is a girl and she's looking at the mirror "and the mirror is telling her "something different from real life." She looks really sad or she doesn't like what she sees or it's showing her her true emotions and it's really exciting because that is a direct interpretation and I ask them, "Well, how did you get there?" Ya know, we start talking about the colors. They're so dark. Her eyes no longer have pupils. They're sort of sunken and deep set. The discovery that I've made in just studying this painting is the background, this crazy diamond and circle pattern, of it being a harlequin pattern and knowing that Picasso himself, thought of himself as like a trickster or a harlequin. And so, that the background is a metaphor for Picasso. When the students can go there, I'll offer that bit of information as a discovery that I've made myself through research and it's just really interesting because, you know, maybe for some kids, they're like, "That's too out there. "That's crazy. I'm just gonna stick with like, "this is the girl, this is how she perceives herself, "and that's what it means for me." And then some people will be like, "Oh, this is how Picasso perceives this woman, "young woman looking at herself in the mirror." What I love about art, especially modern art, is that it meets you where you are. Like, if you're ready to go there, it'll invite you to come in. And if you just wanna keep, stay where you are, it'll say, I'm with you there too.