Blue, Rose,
Surrealism, African, Cubism. Pablo
Picasso is known for moving through a variety of artistic periods as he
experimented with different styles and techniques. Picasso’s earlier periods, specifically the
Blue and Rose Periods, were driven by his dramatic, emotional responses to
people and events in his life. The Blue
Period is characterized by somber moods and blue tonalities; often described as
“melancholy,” this period reflects Picasso’s days of depression. He painted the outcasts of society—beggars,
prostitutes, and the lowly[1]. After meeting Fernande Olivier, Picasso’s mood
lightened as the two started a romantic relationship. Thus began the Rose Period; Picasso’s art became
more lighthearted in content and brighter in color. He grew fascinated in painting saltimbanques
and other performers in groups.
Contemporaries of Picasso viewed the
Blue and Rose Periods as one, unified period.[2] While they saw no need to distinguish the
two periods in the early 20th century, today art scholars agree on a
distinction between Blue and Rose artwork. This begs the question, which painting marks
the end of the Blue Period? Which can be
called the first of the Rose? Instead of
looking for a definitive switch from Blue to Rose, viewers should consider The Actor of late 1904-early 1905 as the
transitional piece connecting the two periods.
The Actor cannot be clearly
categorized in either the Blue or Rose Period; instead, it displays qualities
of both, making the transition between the two periods a gradual one.
1. Blum, Harold P.,
and Elsa J. Blum. “On the Art.” The
American Journal of Psychoanalysis 67, no. 2 (June 2007): 181-96. Accessed
March 17, 2016. doi: 10.1057/palgrave.ajp.3350023.
Pablo
Picasso; The Blind Man’s Meal; 1903;
oil on canvas; 37 ½ in. x 37 ¼ in.; Accession Number: 50.188.
The
Blind Man’s Meal is a typical painting from Picasso’s Blue
Period. Not only is the man blind, but
his clothes and meager meal suggest his poverty. Like most Blue Period figures, the man is
completely alone; his curved posture indicates that he bears a heavy burden and
his gauntness evokes pity from viewers.
The blues are dark and have a sobering effect on viewers. Even the colors of the painting relate despair. The dreariness of The Blind Man’s Meal forces viewers to take part in the blind man’s
hopelessness.
Pablo Picasso; Le Vieux Guitariste Aveugle (The Old Guitarist); 1903-1904; oil on
panel; 48 x 33 in.; The Helen Birch Bartlett Memorial Collection, The Art
Institute of Chicago.
Source: Online Picasso Project
Another from the Blue
Period, The Old Guitarist also
portrays a somber figure evoking pity from viewers. Known through the title and his white hair, the
fact that the man is old adds an element of despair and hopelessness to his
situation, as if he is fated to continue on in lonely poverty. Like in The
Blind Man’s Meal, the figure’s posture curves downward, implying that he
carries a heavy emotional burden.
Typical of the Blue Period, the tonality of the painting is a melancholy
blue. Interestingly, Picasso creates
contrast in the color of the guitar.
This contrast reflects the irony that a guitar, which is often
associated with merry entertainment, is used in a hopeless beggar’s
performance. Picasso finishes this
painting the same year he began his transitional piece The Actor.
Pablo Picasso; The Actor; 1904-1905; oil on canvas; 77 ¼ x 45 3/8 in.; Accession
Number: 52.175.
In 1904 Picasso moves to Paris and meets Fernande Olivier. His life, emotional health, and artistic
expression take an upward turn towards warmth and lightheartedness. After knowing Olivier for just a few months,
Picasso paints The Actor. While this piece contains obvious
characteristics of his Blue Period, The
Actor marks the beginning of Picasso’s shift towards lighter subject matter
and a warmer color palette.
A melancholy air lingers
in the painting of a solitary figure.
The figure is gaunt and his back is curved like the burden-bearing figures
of the Blue Period. Similar to The Old Guitarist, the dark side of
performing arts is shown in the actor’s emaciated features and the darkness of
the background. However, this painting
has considerably brighter tones than Blue Period paintings; even the blues are
warmer and brighter. And while this man
is somber and gaunt, he is a popular subject of the Rose Period—a performer.
Pablo Picasso; Acrobate
et Jeune Arlequin (The Acrobat and Young Harlequin); Early 1905; Gouache on
cardboard; 41 1/3 x 30 in.; Private Collection, Belgium.
Source: Online Picasso Project
After The Actor, Picasso paints a series of similar
performers. As his subject matter
becomes lighter and colors brighter, he begins to add secondary figures in his
pieces. In The Acrobat and Young Harlequin, the focus is on the closest
figure. While the mood is somber, the
melancholy figure is no longer alone; he is accompanied by an attentive,
innocent-looking young harlequin. It is
in this young harlequin that viewers find hope, which was completely lacking in
Blue Period art. Picasso also
incorporates his warm Rose Period color palette as well as funny costumes and
patterns to lighten the mood.
Source: Online Picasso Project
In the same year,
Picasso creates another work called The
Acrobat and Young Harlequin. This
piece, while devoid of outright joy, is dominated by a light mood. These performers are posing in bright
costumes and funny hats in front of a cheery backdrop that includes a
delightful flower arrangement. Unlike
the hunched forms of the Blue Period, these figures stand completely upright
and do not seem to be carrying any heavy emotional burdens. Looking at this painting, the viewer is not
forced to feel pity or to take on the subject’s hopelessness. Instead, the viewer can look at this pleasant
painting and feel just that—pleasant.
Pablo Picasso; La
Famille de Saltimbanques (The Family of Saltimbanques); Fall 1905; oil on
canvas; 83 ¾ x 90 ½ in.; Chester Dale Collection, National Gallery of Art,
Washington, DC.
Source: Online Picasso Project
The Family of Saltimbanques is a well-known painting from the Rose
Period in which Picasso furthers his exploration of performers that was
initiated with The Actor.[1] He not only adds to the number of performers,
but he also adds variety in the body shapes and the types of performers in a
single artwork. Every costume is very
different, but all are equally strange. The
mood of the piece is light, with a blue sky and bright colors. Although the figures seem to be in a serious
discussion, the viewer senses that no one is deeply downtrodden or in despair. Instead, the viewer can find interest in the
figures themselves rather than their emotional state.
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