“Picasso portrayed me the way he saw me in the café. When I arrived, canvas stood facing the wall. When he put the painting up on the easel, I was astonished to see myself just as he had surprised me in the café. Here is the spectre of my solitude, seen from without. The line which encloses the idea, eloquent in its simplicity, fixes a gesture suggestive of the artist’s compassion upon surprising his friend in solitude. Such is the image returned to me by the clear light of Picasso’s observation, a fugitive hallucination of his own restlessness, tormented by the discovery of his friend peering into the abyss of his loneliness.”
Painted in the beginning of the Blue Period, this piece had been stored in Picasso’s workshop at boulevard de Clichy; it changed hands for a long time and, eventually, was bought by Shchukin; due to being frequently copied, the painting was tagged “Le bock” (“The Beer”). “Not being fond of seeing myself in a mirror, nor in the photo, I love looking at this portrait… It is the first of my oil-on-canvas portraits”.
From the memoirs of Jaime Sabartes
28 March Max Topfer from Germany wrote: 'It's Josep Fondervila, owner of the Inn in Gosol, Spain. Picasso spent 2 weeks and gained new inspiration, ended his blue and rose period'
14 March cr33p3r from Germany wrote: 'guys whats the meaning behind this painting I need to know for an art project at school'
10 March Prof. da Costa from Philadelphia wrote: 'for all of you inspired and maybe a bit intimidated by Picasso, if you wish to paint, paint (lots of online and free websites) and if not, don't be intimidated. You can appreciate his work and/or someday will have the strength to wake up and sketch or doodle or copy the works of the master. It's all good. At least you got up to see this website.I used to not appreciate Picasso until I read more about him. Sure, he was a misogynist but his life's work is amazing. I started out at age 18 months drawing circles with dots in the middle under the curtains and now am pretty prolific and inspired and I'm turning 70 this month.'
26 February Lera from Russia; Yekaterinburg wrote: 'cool picture'
06 February breyana arrieta from Russia; Yekaterinburg wrote: 'this artwork is so good I love all the abstract and the colors.'
29 January yunwei from berlin wrote: 'i have this painting tattooed on my arm.'
29 January Denis Noel-Smith from Somerset England wrote: 'I studied art for O level at school but did not take the exam as I joined the Army instead at age 17 joined in 1965 and left in 1984. I have been inspired to take up painting again at the age of 72. I have been painting for a year now and have produced about 50 pictures which I gibe away to family and friends. Picasso/Goya/Velasquez/Van Gough/ Dali and others give me inspiration. I paint on cardboard,board.canvas, ceramic etc - My daughter went to Central St Martins- one of my sister is a very good painter and lives in Cornwall and another (self taught) paints in her studio in Cheltenham - to me as an old man suffering from combat induced PTSD, and in lock down, painting has been a joy and theraputic'
13 January L from Somerset England wrote: 'personally i don't understand the hype. sure, it's good for an 8 year old, but tbh it's not that interesting to me.'
03 January friend from California wrote: 'so you start at 16. Eight year difference isn’t much. Even a 50 year difference. You can always start and work to improve dude :) all you need is a little interest. (And don’t be afraid to look for help, maybe one day you can give back) I believe in you.'
30 December scout from australia wrote: 'people like Pablo are the reason why i don't believe i'll ever do anything good with my life, 16 years old and best i can do is wake up at 4pm.'
11 November Mary Hestand from Texas wrote: 'It's remarkable to see Picasso's output for 1937 alone. Just the paintings he made that year would be enough to cement any artist's reputation as a master for life.'
27 September obeido from Texas wrote: 'well picasso work sold 3-4 million back in 1980s now it selling for 100 million plus what make you think that his prints sell for few hundred dollars now the price i am sure it is up there compier to back then -'
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