ELI5: Why Did Picasso Paint Faces with Eyes in Different Places?

Pablo Picasso painted faces with eyes in different places because he wanted to show what a person looks like from the front, the side, and all around at the exact same time.

Think about how you look at people in your everyday life:

• When you talk to your mom, she doesn't freeze like a statue.
• She turns her head to look at you, tilts her chin up to laugh, and turns to the side to check the stove.
• Your brain remembers all those different views—her smiling profile, her wide eyes looking straight ahead, and the angle of her nose—all combined into one memory of her face.

To do this, he created an art style called Cubism:

• Imagine taking three photos of your best friend: one from the front, one from the left side, and one from the right side.
• Next, cut those photos into puzzle pieces with scissors.
• Finally, glue them back together on one piece of paper, placing a sideways eye next to a front-facing nose.