A Theory of Pablo Picasso’s Palette of Words: Indexed Information and Context in His Art and Poetry Spanning the Occupation
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsWhile the content is excellent and very informative/interesting, careful editing is needed! For example, the use of commas after initial prepositional phrases is very uneven, as is the use of the Oxford comma--these need to be consistent, as does the usage of the MLA Style Book for English language publications, e.g., quote marks after periods rather than Romance-language style, the reverse; more-than-three-line quotes indented; italics for titles and for French words in the English-language text. Further, while the translations from French to English are usually offered (and need to be always), there are some overt errors, e.g. "ongles," a plural, translated as "fingernail," a singular, and the direct literal translation of some words rather than the messages: "flaming children" rather than "children burning with fever" or even at least "feverish children." These aspects, while only seemingly minor, do detract from what is an article which offers very worthwhile content.
Author Response
1. Feb. 8:
Open Review
( ) I would not like to sign my review report
(x) I would like to sign my review report
Quality of English Language
(x) The English is fine and does not require any improvement.
( ) The English could be improved to more clearly express the research.
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|
Yes |
Can be improved |
Must be improved |
Not applicable |
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Is the content succinctly described and contextualized with respect to previous and present theoretical background and empirical research (if applicable) on the topic? |
(x) |
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
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Are the research design, questions, hypotheses and methods clearly stated? |
(x) |
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( ) |
( ) |
|
Are the arguments and discussion of findings coherent, balanced and compelling? |
(x) |
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
|
For empirical research, are the results clearly presented? |
(x) |
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
|
Is the article adequately referenced? |
(x) |
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
|
Are the conclusions thoroughly supported by the results presented in the article or referenced in secondary literature? |
(x) |
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
While the content is excellent and very informative/interesting, careful editing is needed! For example, the use of commas after initial prepositional phrases is very uneven, as is the use of the Oxford comma--these need to be consistent, as does the usage of the MLA Style Book for English language publications, e.g., quote marks after periods rather than Romance-language style, the reverse; more-than-three-line quotes indented; italics for titles and for French words in the English-language text. Further, while the translations from French to English are usually offered (and need to be always), there are some overt errors, e.g. "ongles," a plural, translated as "fingernail," a singular, and the direct literal translation of some words rather than the messages: "flaming children" rather than "children burning with fever" or even at least "feverish children." These aspects, while only seemingly minor, do detract from what is an article which offers very worthwhile content.
2. Jan 26:
Open Review
(x) I would not like to sign my review report
( ) I would like to sign my review report
Quality of English Language
(x) The English is fine and does not require any improvement.
( ) The English could be improved to more clearly express the research.
|
|
Yes |
Can be improved |
Must be improved |
Not applicable |
|
Is the content succinctly described and contextualized with respect to previous and present theoretical background and empirical research (if applicable) on the topic? |
(x) |
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
|
Are the research design, questions, hypotheses and methods clearly stated? |
( ) |
(x) |
( ) |
( ) |
|
Are the arguments and discussion of findings coherent, balanced and compelling? |
(x) |
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
|
For empirical research, are the results clearly presented? |
( ) |
(x) |
( ) |
( ) |
|
Is the article adequately referenced? |
(x) |
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
|
Are the conclusions thoroughly supported by the results presented in the article or referenced in secondary literature? |
(x) |
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
The author does not situate the poems within the broader context of the artist's poetic production, leaving the reader to reach the end of the article to grasp the amount and nature of these poems. The absence of images makes the presentation of the poems problematic. Furthermore, there are no references to Picasso's stay in Paris during the Occupation, his admirable and incessant production of artworks, or the post-WWII accusations of collaboration against him—all of which could provide valuable insights for the analysis. [answer, direct the reviewer]
Overall, while the presentation is exhaustive, the reader is often left confused by lengthy descriptions and an abundance of factual information. How does this technique align with his past artistic production? Is it an unprecedented novelty? I suggest reorganizing the article to ensure the reader can understand the nature of these creations from the outset. Additionally, the inclusion of images, if possible, would greatly enhance the presentation.
Response:
Thank you very much to the Reviewers for their comments and suggestions, which the authors have found to be utmost kindly and helpful. Therefore, the authors have campaigned tirelessly during this time, re-organizing the paper, and hunting and destroying errors. There were so many, and we are sure there are many more remaining, to our painful embarrassment. However, we hope you will find it markedly improved from start to finish.
We have conducted a systematic review of all 667 commas in the paper, adding commas to standardize our expression in the abstract, (e.g. "...intense, such that the substrate...") and throughout the text where needed. In those places where comma use may appear non-standard, usually an exception has occurred. That is, if an ambiguity could be avoided by removing the comma, then we have done so. Also, commas are omitted in the presence of other punctuation, such as parentheses or after quotation marks for emphasis, e.g. "coded poem" in the second sentence of the paper. We have done likewise with the Oxford commas. Presentation of long quotations and quotation marks were standardized. The use of non-English words and phrases was systematically reviewed and repaired in the method prescribed by the reviewer, and as proscribed by the MLA. Regarding direct translations, please notice the authors have included various mentions in the text to other translators and translation styles, which is a subject of much debate. While impossible to avoid, and therefore requiring mention, those arguments are far beyond the scope of the paper. Noted, any interpretations at all can be rather ambiguous in light of the subject and matter. We have given extensive treatment to "enfants flambant" as "sick and feverish children" in the paragraph prior to the ironic, literal translation as "flaming children." Kind thanks to the reviewer for pointing out the error in "les ongles" which has been duly repaired, along with others and along with providing more English translation.
The authors could not agree more with the Reviewer who said to include images if at all possible. The original plan was to present the paintings and poems together, side by side. No permissions are required for the textual information of the poems, although we have preemptively confirmed the poems' presentation with the Picasso Foundation. We have secured permissions from Retro News to re-publish contents from the original newspapers, but negotiations with the Picasso Foundation for permissions for the paintings are still ongoing. It has been suggested that we provide URLs to the works in the event permissions cannot be secured. It would be a pity, but if it cannot be helped, we would prefer to publish these new insights without their proper accompaniment, rather than to leave them undiscovered. For the moment, we present here the originally intended version, reorganized with all relevant images in place alongside the poems. If permissions can be secured from the Picasso Foundation, then this would be the preferred form of the paper.
The authors feel they have amply expressed that the Palette of Words, as method, was a wartime creation, and that it was applied in cases other than the two shown in the paper. We have deliberately left open the question of other instances of the method, knowing of a few already. We are working on the next paper, and have encouraged others to do the same. There's plenty of room for further investigation, and using the very last words of the paper, we also encourage others to join.
The authors have made a good faith effort to include more of the historical context requested by the reviewer. The project was begun without so much confidence or intention really of presenting judgements about the inner workings of Pablo Picasso's geopolitical heart and mind, sticking mainly to observations on the methods and particulars of his art and its content. That is, it is important enough to require mention, but out of the scope of this paper. In our investigation, we gradually arrived at the same conclusion, that Picasso was probably very anti-collaborationist in sentiment. These are extraordinarily difficult judgements to make only by inference, and we had preferred to comment less and let the findings in the paper speak for themselves to the degree possible. We take a modest dose of confidence from the Reviewer's position and suggested revisions. We have added sentences and restructured the section 2. Materials and Methods to reflect this. We also repeat and re-situate findings by (Finn 2016) noting that an increase of metal works during the war necessarily deprives the enemy of war materiel, and could be interpreted as a possible act of resistance. A more forceful interpretation can be found in (Popova 2025), which we added as support. We have attempted to very carefully find the correct balance in our findings (that Picasso was indeed a hero trapped among a host of most inhospitable circumstances) and our wish to present as non-biased, un-emotional, factual account as possible. Realizing the dangers of trusting one's assumptions too far, if we should err, we would prefer to err on the safe side rather than face accusations of preference and bias. We also notice that other authors have addressed any lingering controversy on the question of Picasso's sentiments during/about the war:
Senay Boztas, The Independent, Letters show Picasso was no collaborator, 23 September, 2007
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/letters-show-picasso-was-no-collaborator-403263.html
"He stayed in Paris when the Nazis invaded, keeping his head down and prompting claims that he must have collaborated with Hitler's regime. But, covertly, Picasso played a "brave" role in supporting the French Resistance..."
"People think Picasso was very prudent during the war years, but nevertheless he stayed in Paris and refused to be intimidated," Professor Read said.
"He was never involved in overt Resistance activity, but his friends were anti-fascists and he used to help them by giving them art they could sell or getting them work
Neil Cox, The Tate Etc., Peace and the Politics of Freedom, Picasso and Politics, May 1, 2020. https://www.tate.org.uk/tate-etc/issue-19-summer-2010/peace-and-politics-freedom
"The art that Picasso made during the Nazi occupation and the pernicious collaboration that was the Vichy regime had its meaning guaranteed as a sign of 'resistance' and of the idea of freedom in a series of major exhibitions staged immediately after the liberation. "
Author Response File: 
Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 2 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsThe author does not situate the poems within the broader context of the artist's poetic production, leaving the reader to reach the end of the article to grasp the amount and nature of these poems. The absence of images makes the presentation of the poems problematic. Furthermore, there are no references to Picasso's stay in Paris during the Occupation, his admirable and incessant production of artworks, or the post-WWII accusations of collaboration against him—all of which could provide valuable insights for the analysis.
Overall, while the presentation is exhaustive, the reader is often left confused by lengthy descriptions and an abundance of factual information. How does this technique align with his past artistic production? Is it an unprecedented novelty? I suggest reorganizing the article to ensure the reader can understand the nature of these creations from the outset. Additionally, the inclusion of images, if possible, would greatly enhance the presentation.
Author Response
1. Feb. 8:
Open Review
( ) I would not like to sign my review report
(x) I would like to sign my review report
Quality of English Language
(x) The English is fine and does not require any improvement.
( ) The English could be improved to more clearly express the research.
|
|
Yes |
Can be improved |
Must be improved |
Not applicable |
|
Is the content succinctly described and contextualized with respect to previous and present theoretical background and empirical research (if applicable) on the topic? |
(x) |
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
|
Are the research design, questions, hypotheses and methods clearly stated? |
(x) |
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
|
Are the arguments and discussion of findings coherent, balanced and compelling? |
(x) |
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
|
For empirical research, are the results clearly presented? |
(x) |
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
|
Is the article adequately referenced? |
(x) |
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
|
Are the conclusions thoroughly supported by the results presented in the article or referenced in secondary literature? |
(x) |
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
While the content is excellent and very informative/interesting, careful editing is needed! For example, the use of commas after initial prepositional phrases is very uneven, as is the use of the Oxford comma--these need to be consistent, as does the usage of the MLA Style Book for English language publications, e.g., quote marks after periods rather than Romance-language style, the reverse; more-than-three-line quotes indented; italics for titles and for French words in the English-language text. Further, while the translations from French to English are usually offered (and need to be always), there are some overt errors, e.g. "ongles," a plural, translated as "fingernail," a singular, and the direct literal translation of some words rather than the messages: "flaming children" rather than "children burning with fever" or even at least "feverish children." These aspects, while only seemingly minor, do detract from what is an article which offers very worthwhile content.
2. Jan 26:
Open Review
(x) I would not like to sign my review report
( ) I would like to sign my review report
Quality of English Language
(x) The English is fine and does not require any improvement.
( ) The English could be improved to more clearly express the research.
|
|
Yes |
Can be improved |
Must be improved |
Not applicable |
|
Is the content succinctly described and contextualized with respect to previous and present theoretical background and empirical research (if applicable) on the topic? |
(x) |
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
|
Are the research design, questions, hypotheses and methods clearly stated? |
( ) |
(x) |
( ) |
( ) |
|
Are the arguments and discussion of findings coherent, balanced and compelling? |
(x) |
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
|
For empirical research, are the results clearly presented? |
( ) |
(x) |
( ) |
( ) |
|
Is the article adequately referenced? |
(x) |
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
|
Are the conclusions thoroughly supported by the results presented in the article or referenced in secondary literature? |
(x) |
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
The author does not situate the poems within the broader context of the artist's poetic production, leaving the reader to reach the end of the article to grasp the amount and nature of these poems. The absence of images makes the presentation of the poems problematic. Furthermore, there are no references to Picasso's stay in Paris during the Occupation, his admirable and incessant production of artworks, or the post-WWII accusations of collaboration against him—all of which could provide valuable insights for the analysis.
Overall, while the presentation is exhaustive, the reader is often left confused by lengthy descriptions and an abundance of factual information. How does this technique align with his past artistic production? Is it an unprecedented novelty? I suggest reorganizing the article to ensure the reader can understand the nature of these creations from the outset. Additionally, the inclusion of images, if possible, would greatly enhance the presentation.
Response:
Thank you very much to the Reviewers for their comments and suggestions, which the authors have found to be utmost kindly and helpful. Therefore, the authors have campaigned tirelessly during this time, re-organizing the paper, and hunting and destroying errors. There were so many, and we are sure there are many more remaining, to our painful embarrassment. However, we hope you will find it markedly improved from start to finish.
We have conducted a systematic review of all 667 commas in the paper, adding commas to standardize our expression in the abstract, (e.g. "...intense, such that the substrate...") and throughout the text where needed. In those places where comma use may appear non-standard, usually an exception has occurred. That is, if an ambiguity could be avoided by removing the comma, then we have done so. Also, commas are omitted in the presence of other punctuation, such as parentheses or after quotation marks for emphasis, e.g. "coded poem" in the second sentence of the paper. We have done likewise with the Oxford commas. Presentation of long quotations and quotation marks were standardized. The use of non-English words and phrases was systematically reviewed and repaired in the method prescribed by the reviewer, and as proscribed by the MLA. Regarding direct translations, please notice the authors have included various mentions in the text to other translators and translation styles, which is a subject of much debate. While impossible to avoid, and therefore requiring mention, those arguments are far beyond the scope of the paper. Noted, any interpretations at all can be rather ambiguous in light of the subject and matter. We have given extensive treatment to "enfants flambant" as "sick and feverish children" in the paragraph prior to the ironic, literal translation as "flaming children." Kind thanks to the reviewer for pointing out the error in "les ongles" which has been duly repaired, along with others and along with providing more English translation.
The authors could not agree more with the Reviewer who said to include images if at all possible. The original plan was to present the paintings and poems together, side by side. No permissions are required for the textual information of the poems, although we have preemptively confirmed the poems' presentation with the Picasso Foundation. We have secured permissions from Retro News to re-publish contents from the original newspapers, but negotiations with the Picasso Foundation for permissions for the paintings are still ongoing. It has been suggested that we provide URLs to the works in the event permissions cannot be secured. It would be a pity, but if it cannot be helped, we would prefer to publish these new insights without their proper accompaniment, rather than to leave them undiscovered. For the moment, we present here the originally intended version, reorganized with all relevant images in place alongside the poems. If permissions can be secured from the Picasso Foundation, then this would be the preferred form of the paper.
The authors feel they have amply expressed that the Palette of Words, as method, was a wartime creation, and that it was applied in cases other than the two shown in the paper. We have deliberately left open the question of other instances of the method, knowing of a few already. We are working on the next paper, and have encouraged others to do the same. There's plenty of room for further investigation, and using the very last words of the paper, we also encourage others to join.
The authors have made a good faith effort to include more of the historical context requested by the reviewer. The project was begun without so much confidence or intention really of presenting judgements about the inner workings of Pablo Picasso's geopolitical heart and mind, sticking mainly to observations on the methods and particulars of his art and its content. That is, it is important enough to require mention, but out of the scope of this paper. In our investigation, we gradually arrived at the same conclusion, that Picasso was probably very anti-collaborationist in sentiment. These are extraordinarily difficult judgements to make only by inference, and we had preferred to comment less and let the findings in the paper speak for themselves to the degree possible. We take a modest dose of confidence from the Reviewer's position and suggested revisions. We have added sentences and restructured the section 2. Materials and Methods to reflect this. We also repeat and re-situate findings by (Finn 2016) noting that an increase of metal works during the war necessarily deprives the enemy of war materiel, and could be interpreted as a possible act of resistance. A more forceful interpretation was be found in (Popova 2025), which we added as support. We have attempted to very carefully find the correct balance in our findings (that Picasso was indeed a hero trapped among a host of most inhospitable circumstances) and our wish to present as non-biased, un-emotional, factual account as possible. Realizing the dangers of trusting one's assumptions too far, if we should err, we would prefer to err on the safe side rather than face accusations of preference and bias. We also notice that other authors have addressed any lingering controversy on the question of Picasso's sentiments during/about the war:
Senay Boztas, The Independent, Letters show Picasso was no collaborator, 23 September, 2007
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/letters-show-picasso-was-no-collaborator-403263.html
"He stayed in Paris when the Nazis invaded, keeping his head down and prompting claims that he must have collaborated with Hitler's regime. But, covertly, Picasso played a "brave" role in supporting the French Resistance..."
"People think Picasso was very prudent during the war years, but nevertheless he stayed in Paris and refused to be intimidated," Professor Read said.
"He was never involved in overt Resistance activity, but his friends were anti-fascists and he used to help them by giving them art they could sell or getting them work..."
Neil Cox, The Tate Etc., Peace and the Politics of Freedom, Picasso and Politics, May 1, 2020. https://www.tate.org.uk/tate-etc/issue-19-summer-2010/peace-and-politics-freedom
"The art that Picasso made during the Nazi occupation and the pernicious collaboration that was the Vichy regime had its meaning guaranteed as a sign of 'resistance' and of the idea of freedom in a series of major exhibitions staged immediately after the liberation. "
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
