Like lots of other artists, throughout his whole life Picasso liked painting self-portraits in which his real appearance intertwined with the author’s personal view revealing his progress in life and art. This self-portrait which laid the foundation of the “Blue Period” was created during his second stay in Paris in winter 1901. He returned to Barcelona in January 1902.
Here, Picasso is only twenty but looks much older. His pale face with bright contrasting lips and a thin beard is exhausted by severities of a winter in Paris. The high collar of his buttoned up great-coat further aggravates the feeling of sadness and loneliness emanating from the canvas.
21 September Pascal from New York wrote: 'Like everything, you must study or practice to appreciate. If you have eaten burgers and pizza your whole life, it may be difficult to appreciate sushi.'
16 July steve from USA wrote: 'Breathtaking as everything he's ever done. Rich vibrant colors and sharp visceral angles. Picasso is a master'
28 June Nikolai from Switzerland wrote: 'The painting is certainly impressive, to say the least. But what has always struck me as curious is that none of Picasso's other works from this period are anywhere near as accomplished as this painting. It is a well known fact that at one time it was a common practice in teaching painting, for the master to repaint areas of the student's work. In the case of this painting, I cannot help but wonder how much of it might have actually been painted by Picasso's father.'
14 June Ricardo Lapin from Switzerland wrote: 'How much perversion to treat a couple as if they were an object (a model, "muse", etc.) and be indifferent to painting their suffering over and over again, for years without doing anything to help her.'
24 May byats wurnt from Switzerland wrote: 'I think, when dealing with an abstract piece, one must take an approach similar to reading.
On the right, I can see buildings, a staple of modern life.
Warm colours, may indicate heat?
There's a curtain on the left harlequin.
Now we just have to make sense of it.'
15 May Wong Tsz Hang from Switzerland wrote: 'The drawings are confusing, there are many colours mixed together and don't know what it is. And it looks unusual.'
23 April Santiago from San Diego wrote: 'Did Picasso ever draw some daises white and yellow on a window sill?'
30 March Cassandra from Scandinavia wrote: 'This in intruiguing, I am researching this painting for a school project.'
25 March Cosma from Germany wrote: ':) Look at this great picture and smile. GO PAINTIG NOT WAR'
24 February Vic from Melbourne wrote: 'Can't believe Picasso made a sculpture of Ye himself'
12 February Alan from Rochester wrote: 'Anybody know in what museum or collection HEAD OF A WOMAN WITH BLUE HAT RED RIBBON
(Tête de femme au chapeau bleu a ruban rouge), 1939 is located?'
10 February Micheal Scott from Rochester wrote: 'This says a lot about our society.'
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