Picasso's Painting: The Old Guitarist By Pablo Picasso

For my final art paper, I have chosen the painting “The Old Guitarist” by Pablo Picasso. This painting depicts an old man sitting crisscrossed on the floor, hunched over, and holding his guitar like a cello or upright bass. There is a window that nothing is visible out of in the background and what appears to be a step up to the window. The man has silver-gray hair and a bony body and face. The man’s right leg is crossed over his left, and his head leans down facing the floor towards the viewer’s left. The man holds the guitar in right-handed positon—with the neck of the guitar in his left hand and strumming with the right hand. The man’s slumped position against the wall has caused his left shoulder to be raised much higher than his right shoulder. The painting has a bleak tone created by the Picasso’s choice to paint everything except the guitar in shades of blue. The man’s eyes are closed as he plays. …show more content…
During this time, Picasso was going through a difficult time in his life where he dealt with poverty (“The Old Guitarist”). His difficulties translated into his artwork for a period of time called ‘his Blue Period” (The Essential Guide). Picasso’s art from the Blue Period was all monochromatic blue pieces that depicted harsh scenes of poverty and struggle. The Blue Period lasted from 1901-1904. Specifically, “The Old Guitarist” most likely depicts the feelings he had while experiencing poverty. Picasso related to the old man in that he felt crippled by his poverty—just as the man is crippled by his old age. But Picasso also related to the old man in that he felt that he had a talent to share with society. The old man represents Picasso himself because he fought an obstacle while trying to make his artistic talent