Pablo Picasso
15


Guitar

Most critics consider the Guitar series as the final transition from the analytical cubism to the synthetic cubism. However, they cover a much longer period of the artist’s work; it can be said that Guitars generally represent Picasso’s Cubism.

One of the first collages made of newspapers fragments dates back to November/December 1912. Familiarization with the series should start with early collages, paying attention to some important things. First of all, it is the variety of materials used and the presentation of different things in different contexts. The collages made of real materials such as wallpaper, sand, paper, labels, packaging, musical scores in a variety of combinations not only symbolize the gap with the traditional practice of two-dimensional art, but also appeal to the reality through the use of real-life forms. Secondly, the study of Guitar series consists in analyzing and comparing the actual visual techniques that would seem to vary in different studies, but were born and are maintained by a single force. Look at the lines in this 1913 graphics piece – it seems as if the artist disassembles the tool and assembles it again, showing us something new, uniform and integral. Maybe he wanted to show us how music looks like? Now take a look at this minimalistic collage of 1920 made of burlap, newspaper and a couple of ropes. It is an entirely different technique, which gives rise to different questions and answers.

Spring 1914, the art critic Andr? Salmon wrote: “I have seen what no man has seen before in Picasso's studio. Leaving aside painting for the moment, Picasso built this immense guitar out of sheet metal with parts that could be given to any idiot in the universe who on his own might put the object together as well as the artist himself. More phantasmagorical than Faust's laboratory, this studio (which certain people might claim had no art in the conventional sense of the term) was furnished with the newest of objects. All the visible forms surrounding me appeared absolutely new. I had never seen such new things before. I didn't even know what a new object could be.

Some visitors, already shocked by the things that they saw covering the walls, refused to call these objects paintings (because they were made of oil-cloth, packing paper and newspaper). They pointed a condescending finger at the object of Picasso’s clever pains, and said: ‘What is it? Does you put it on a pedestal? Does you hang it on a wall? Is it painting or is it sculpture?’ Picasso dressed in the blue of a Parisian worker responded in his finest Andalusian voice: ‘It’s nothing. It's el guitare!’”

Paintings

Pablo Picasso. The Old Guitarist, 1903
The Old Guitarist, 1903
Pablo Picasso. Guitarist (The mandolin), 1910
Guitarist (The mandolin), 1910
Pablo Picasso. Woman with Guitar, 1911
Woman with Guitar, 1911
Pablo Picasso. Woman with Guitar close d`un piano, 1911
Woman with Guitar close d`un piano, 1911
Pablo Picasso. Guitarist (`The torero`), 1911
Guitarist (`The torero`), 1911
Pablo Picasso. Guitar, 1912
Guitar, 1912
Pablo Picasso. Man with Guitar, 1912
Man with Guitar, 1912
Pablo Picasso. Bottle of Bass guitar ace of clubs, 1912
Bottle of Bass guitar ace of clubs, 1912
Pablo Picasso. Guitar, glass and pipe, 1912
Guitar, glass and pipe, 1912
Pablo Picasso. Guitar green and pink, 1912
Guitar green and pink, 1912
Pablo Picasso. [Man with Guitar] Male violin, 1912
[Man with Guitar] Male violin, 1912
Pablo Picasso. Green guitar that extends, 1912
Green guitar that extends, 1912
Pablo Picasso. Female Guitar, 1912
Female Guitar, 1912
Pablo Picasso. Guitar, Glass and Newspaper, 1912
Guitar, Glass and Newspaper, 1912
Pablo Picasso. Guitar and music sheet, 1912
Guitar and music sheet, 1912
Pablo Picasso. `I love Eva` Guitar, 1912
`I love Eva` Guitar, 1912
Pablo Picasso. Man with Guitar, 1912
Man with Guitar, 1912
Pablo Picasso. Guitar, Glass, Bottle of old brandy, 1912
Guitar, Glass, Bottle of old brandy, 1912
Pablo Picasso. Guitar on a table II, 1912
Guitar on a table II, 1912
Pablo Picasso. Bottle, guitar, pipe, 1912
Bottle, guitar, pipe, 1912
Pablo Picasso. Bottle of Bass and Guitar, 1912
Bottle of Bass and Guitar, 1912
Pablo Picasso. Bec a gas and guitar, 1912
Bec a gas and guitar, 1912
Pablo Picasso. Guitar, 1912
Guitar, 1912
Pablo Picasso. Man with Guitar, 1912
Man with Guitar, 1912
Pablo Picasso. Violin and Guitar, 1913
Violin and Guitar, 1913
Pablo Picasso. Violon et guitare, 1913
Violon et guitare, 1913
Pablo Picasso. Guitar, 1913
Guitar, 1913
Pablo Picasso. Bottle of Bass, clarinet, guitar, violin, newspaper, ace of clubs [violin], 1913
Bottle of Bass, clarinet, guitar, violin, newspaper, ace of clubs [violin], 1913
Pablo Picasso. Guitar, skull and newspaper, 1913
Guitar, skull and newspaper, 1913
Pablo Picasso. Guitar, 1913
Guitar, 1913
Pablo Picasso. Woman with Guitare1, 1913
Woman with Guitare1, 1913
Pablo Picasso. Bass guitar and bottle of, 1913
Bass guitar and bottle of, 1913
Pablo Picasso. Woman with Guitar, 1913
Woman with Guitar, 1913
Pablo Picasso. Man with Guitar, 1913
Man with Guitar, 1913
Pablo Picasso. Pipe, Glass, ace of clubs, bottle of Bass, guitar, (`My Jolie`), 1914
Pipe, Glass, ace of clubs, bottle of Bass, guitar, (`My Jolie`), 1914
Pablo Picasso. Harlequin with guitar [Harlequin playing the guitar], 1914
Harlequin with guitar [Harlequin playing the guitar], 1914
Pablo Picasso. Pipe, glass, newspaper, guitar, bottle of old brandy (`Lacerba`), 1914
Pipe, glass, newspaper, guitar, bottle of old brandy (`Lacerba`), 1914
Pablo Picasso. Nature morte- guitar, newspaper, glass and ace of clubs, 1914
Nature morte- guitar, newspaper, glass and ace of clubs, 1914
Pablo Picasso. Man with hat playing guitar [Guitar Player], 1914
Man with hat playing guitar [Guitar Player], 1914
Pablo Picasso. Guitar on a pedestal, 1915
Guitar on a pedestal, 1915
Pablo Picasso. Guitar and Newspaper, 1915
Guitar and Newspaper, 1915
Pablo Picasso. Guitar, clarinet and bottle on a table, 1916
Guitar, clarinet and bottle on a table, 1916
Pablo Picasso. Guitarist, 1916
Guitarist, 1916
Pablo Picasso. Seated Harlequin with guitar, 1916
Seated Harlequin with guitar, 1916
Pablo Picasso. Guitar and partition on a chimney, 1916
Guitar and partition on a chimney, 1916
Pablo Picasso. Harlequin to Guitare1, 1916
Harlequin to Guitare1, 1916
Pablo Picasso. Harlequin with a Guitar, 1917
Harlequin with a Guitar, 1917
Pablo Picasso. Partition bottle of port, guitar and playing cards, 1917
Partition bottle of port, guitar and playing cards, 1917
Pablo Picasso. Still Life with Guitar, 1918
Still Life with Guitar, 1918
Pablo Picasso. Guitar and jug on a table, 1918
Guitar and jug on a table, 1918
Pablo Picasso. Harlequin with guitar (if you want), 1918
Harlequin with guitar (if you want), 1918
Pablo Picasso. Harlequin with a Guitar, 1918
Harlequin with a Guitar, 1918
Pablo Picasso. Guitar, Bottle, Bowl with Fruit, and Glass on Table, 1919
Guitar, Bottle, Bowl with Fruit, and Glass on Table, 1919
Pablo Picasso. Polichinelle with Guitar Before the Stage Curtain, 1919
Polichinelle with Guitar Before the Stage Curtain, 1919
Pablo Picasso. Guitar on a table, 1919
Guitar on a table, 1919
Pablo Picasso. Guitar and Fruit Dish on a pedestal in front of an open window [Still life in a window], 1919
Guitar and Fruit Dish on a pedestal in front of an open window [Still life in a window], 1919
Pablo Picasso. Glass, bouquet, guitar, bottle, 1919
Glass, bouquet, guitar, bottle, 1919
Pablo Picasso. Still Life and guitar, 1919
Still Life and guitar, 1919
Pablo Picasso. Guitar, 1920
Guitar, 1920
Pablo Picasso. Still Life with Guitar, 1920
Still Life with Guitar, 1920
Pablo Picasso. Compotier et guitare sur une table, 1920
Compotier et guitare sur une table, 1920
Pablo Picasso. Still Life with Guitar, 1920
Still Life with Guitar, 1920
Pablo Picasso. Guitar on a table, 1920
Guitar on a table, 1920
Pablo Picasso. Guitar and partition on a pedestal, 1920
Guitar and partition on a pedestal, 1920
Pablo Picasso. Guitar and fruit bowl on a table, 1920
Guitar and fruit bowl on a table, 1920
Pablo Picasso. Guitar and fruit bowl on a table, 1920
Guitar and fruit bowl on a table, 1920
Pablo Picasso. Guitar and fruit bowl on a table, 1920
Guitar and fruit bowl on a table, 1920
Pablo Picasso. Guitar on a pedestal, 1920
Guitar on a pedestal, 1920
Pablo Picasso. Guitar and Fruit Dish on a square table, 1920
Guitar and Fruit Dish on a square table, 1920
Pablo Picasso. Guitar and partition on pedestal, 1920
Guitar and partition on pedestal, 1920
Pablo Picasso. Still Life with guitar and partition, 1920
Still Life with guitar and partition, 1920
Pablo Picasso. Guitar, 1920
Guitar, 1920
Pablo Picasso. Guitar and Fruit Dish, 1920
Guitar and Fruit Dish, 1920
Pablo Picasso. Guitar, 1920
Guitar, 1920
Pablo Picasso. Still Life with Guitar, 1921
Still Life with Guitar, 1921
Pablo Picasso. Compotier et guitare, 1921
Compotier et guitare, 1921
Pablo Picasso. Guitar and fruit bowl on a table Table, 1921
Guitar and fruit bowl on a table Table, 1921
Pablo Picasso. Guitar, Bottle and Fruit Dish, 1921
Guitar, Bottle and Fruit Dish, 1921
Pablo Picasso. Still Life with guitar on pedestal, 1922
Still Life with guitar on pedestal, 1922
Pablo Picasso. Guitar on a table, 1922
Guitar on a table, 1922
Pablo Picasso. still life with guitar, 1922
still life with guitar, 1922
Pablo Picasso. Bottle, guitar and fruit bowl, 1922
Bottle, guitar and fruit bowl, 1922
Pablo Picasso. Guitar on a table, 1922
Guitar on a table, 1922
Pablo Picasso. Guitar on a red carpet, 1922
Guitar on a red carpet, 1922
Pablo Picasso. Still Life with Guitar, 1922
Still Life with Guitar, 1922
Pablo Picasso. Guitar on a pedestal, 1922
Guitar on a pedestal, 1922
Pablo Picasso. Guitar, 1924
Guitar, 1924
Pablo Picasso. Still life with cake, 1924
Still life with cake, 1924
Pablo Picasso. Guitar, glass and fruit dish with fruits, 1924
Guitar, glass and fruit dish with fruits, 1924
Pablo Picasso. Mandolin and guitar, 1924
Mandolin and guitar, 1924
Pablo Picasso. Guitar, 1925
Guitar, 1925
Pablo Picasso. Still life with antique Head (guitar, partition, fruit bowl, female bust), 1925
Still life with antique Head (guitar, partition, fruit bowl, female bust), 1925
Pablo Picasso. Guitar, 1925
Guitar, 1925
Pablo Picasso. Guitar, 1926
Guitar, 1926
Pablo Picasso. Guitar, 1926
Guitar, 1926
Pablo Picasso. Head and guitar, 1927
Head and guitar, 1927
Pablo Picasso. Compotier et guitare, 1927
Compotier et guitare, 1927
Pablo Picasso. Compotier et mandoline [guitare], 1932
Compotier et mandoline [guitare], 1932
Pablo Picasso. Still Life with Guitar, 1942
Still Life with Guitar, 1942
Pablo Picasso. The guitarist, 1965
The guitarist, 1965
Pablo Picasso. Musician [Musketeer guitar], 1972
Musician [Musketeer guitar], 1972

Graphics

Pablo Picasso. Man with Guitar, 1911
Man with Guitar, 1911
Pablo Picasso. Bottle of Bass, guitar, newspaper and glass on a square table, 1913
Bottle of Bass, guitar, newspaper and glass on a square table, 1913
Pablo Picasso. Love, naked, Harlequin and Pierrot playing guitar, 1918
Love, naked, Harlequin and Pierrot playing guitar, 1918
Pablo Picasso. Guitar, 1922
Guitar, 1922
Pablo Picasso. Abstract Guitar, 1926
Abstract Guitar, 1926



Collages

Pablo Picasso. Guitar, Sheet Music, and Glass, 1912
Guitar, Sheet Music, and Glass, 1912
Pablo Picasso. Guitar, 1913
Guitar, 1913