George Condo’s fascination with Cubism and particularly works of Pablo Picasso leaded to a range of portraits featuring the style’s core visual characteristics. Condo has described his works referencing the movement as ‘psychological cubism’.

"Picasso painted a violin from four different perspectives at one moment. I do the same with psychological states. Four of them can occur simultaneously. Like glimpsing a bus with one passenger howling over a joke they're hearing down the phone, someone else asleep, someone else crying – I'll put them all in one face". – George Condo

One of the most iconic examples from Condo's notable ‘Existential Portraits’ series, and a prototype of his celebrated Cubist Paintings – the ‘Smiling Face’ is an expansive painting that highlights Condo's profound exploration into the realm of psychological portrait. Through an inventive amalgamation of his trademark psychological cubism and artificial realism, Condo pushes beyond the conventional boundaries of portraiture. Set against an isolated background, constructed from the colorful cubistic forms the figure is an obvious combination of female and male features. The blend of artist's two best-known techniques rendered in unabashed bold colors with unwavering lines ultimately results in a portrait that triggers a viewer's emotions through its contradictory nature.

"Often one eye is looking at you and the other eye is more recessive. You’re seduced by the willing eye and then stared at by the aggressive one. As you move into the portrait there is something paranoiac about each part".
– George Condo