My Best Friends Diary

Painting Title: Girl in Chemise 1905
Pablo Picasso: Early/Blue Period Paintings
Famous Spanish artist - 20th Century Painter

About the Girl in Chemise Painting
This painting was done around the same time as Pablo Picasso his Family of Saltimbanques painting. Picasso was moving away from all blue tones and introducing a lighter palette with pinks and earth colors.




Painting Title: Family of Saltimbanques 1905
Pablo Picasso: Early/Blue Period Paintings
Famous Spanish artist - 20th Century Painter
About the Family of Saltimbanques Painting
Picasso painted the circus on many occasions around the time this painting was completed. The artist was inspired by his visits to the Cirque Médrano in Montmartre. Pablo Picasso used the circus performers to refer to the artist's alienation and outsider image, particularly the image of a modern artist breaking new ground.Family of Saltimbanques is a major painting by Picasso from this time, with the height and width measuring more than two meters.



Painting Title: La Vie 1903
Pablo Picasso: Early/Blue Period Paintings
Famous Spanish artist - 20th Century Painter
About the La Vie Painting
Pablo Picasso painted this La Vie painting during his famous blue period series. It is an important work from the blue period and stand almost 2 meters tall.The scene of three adult figures and one baby is set in the artist's studio, with two incomplete nude studies in the background. The male nude figure is said to be of Picasso's friend Carlos Casagemas. Casagemas committed suicide after being rejected by his lover.La Vie is a painting that has been discussed and interpreted by many art critics and writers, but Picasso never gave his own personal interpretation of the painting. Pablo Picasso reworked the painting several times and did several studies for La Vie. It is also the largest and most complex work from the blue period.

Painting Title: The Absinth Drinker 1901
Pablo Picasso: Early/Blue Period Paintings

Famous Spanish artist - 20th Century Painter
About the The Absinth Drinker Painting
This painting was done around the same time as Pablo Picasso was working on his Blue Period. Absinthe is an alcoholic drink that is now banned in many countries.It was a drink that was made famous by the many artists in Paris that consumed and painted people consuming Absinthe. Other famous Parisian artists that painted Absinthe drinkers included Edgar Degas and Edouard Manet.The anise derived alcoholic drink was banned in many countries because of its addictive and psychoactive qualities.

Painting Title: Death of Casagemas 1901
Pablo Picasso: Early/Blue Period Paintings
Famous Spanish artist - 20th Century Painter
About the Death of Casagemas Painting
This deathbed painting of Carlos Casagemas is an intimate portrait of a friend that committed suicide over a lover. Casagemas also appears in the melancholy La Vie painting of 1903.





Painting Title: Self Portrait with Cloak 1901
Pablo Picasso: Early/Blue Period Paintings
Famous Spanish artist - 20th Century Painter
About the Self Portrait Painting
Pablo Picasso painted this Self Portrait with Cloak painting during his famous blue period series. Like many of his other paintings from this period, this self portrait uses all blue tones and is very melancholy in nature.