Pablo Picasso - Acrobat with a Ball - 1905 - 147 x 95 cm - 58 x 37 in - oil on canvas

This early painting by Picasso has excellent integration.

I will begin with the most obvious, the left side of the acrobat on the ball, and how she connects to the leg of the other acrobat.  Your eye movement will continue from one to the other.

Now for a beautiful rhythmic integration which begins at the sitting figure’s head.  The movement follows his spine, then your eye connects to the blanket.  This is very impressive when you realize this also integrates (rhythmically) with the other figure’s left side.

Now to the line the white horse is standing on.  I love this connection with the sitting figure’s right shoulder.  I still remember how excited I was when I first noticed it many years ago.

The sight line continues to the left of the painting and now we see how the large figure is integrated with the background.

Other great examples are how the large figure’s right hand connects to the edge of the blanket, and how his left arm integrates with his shorts.

Other ways to integrate are with shapes, colour or values.  Picasso used all three.  The ball and the heads (shape, value and colour) integrate the warmth on the large figure’s left leg with the small red figure.  And that wonderful red dot in the acrobat’s hair.