Purity of line and colour, economy of means, ideal figures and an atmosphere of nobility and restrained emotion - these are the admired characteristics of classicism in all ages, based on the qualities ascribed to ancient Greek and Roman art. In The Lovers, Picasso probaly comes as close to classical perfection as it is possible for a modern artist to do without any direct imitation of the past.
There is a theatrical element in the painting (the lovers may well have been 'frozen' to form a tableau as the curtain comes down at the end of an act), reminiscent of the classical tradition derived from the French dramatist Racine rather than from the ancients. Picasso had in fact been immersed in theatrical activity ever since his involvement with Diaghilev and Parade, and many paintings of this period, including the celebrated Pipes of Pan could easily be interpreted as stage scenes.
