#19: “Les Demoiselles d’Avignon” by Pablo Picasso – MoMA, NYC
In 1907, Picasso’s fractured painting of five prostitutes upended Western art. Audiences were repulsed by its distorted figures, harsh lines, and African mask influences. While now considered a key painting in the history of Cubism, many viewers then found it grotesque and offensive. Its permanent home at MoMA still draws divided reactions.
