Pablo Picasso – Blue Period: Picasso is one of the most versatile artists in art history. He passed through different stages of producing artwork with clearly discernible approaches in painting. Throughout the years, people have been both scandalized and intrigued by his work. The “Blue Nude”, also called “Femme Nue II” or “Nu de Dos”, was painted during the artist’s Blue Period of monochromatic colour use. The phase started in 1901 in his years of poverty when he first moved to Paris. Much like his other paintings of this period, the picture of the nude women represents a feeling of hopelessness and despair.
Where is the picture “Blue Nude” today?
The original picture of “Blue Nude” is part of a private collection in Paris.
What’s in it?
The picture “Blue Nude” appears simple at first glance. It shows a woman seated on the ground in back perspective facing away from the viewer, leaning over her bent knees. She is resting her head on her folded arms as if trying to shield herself from all but her own thoughts, passing on a feeling of disengagement and rejection. No objects in the background are discernible reminiscent of Paul Gauguin’s paintings which he executed in Tahiti. However, unlike Gauguin’s universe of colourful figures and vibrant colour fields, Picasso restricts his palette to monochromatic shades of blue. Emphasized outlines of the women’s body conjure pictures of Ukiyo-e Japanese woodcut art.
What’s the context?
Picasso’s “Blue Nude” exemplifies the style of the artists early work and during his Blue Period between 1901 to 1904. During this time, the artist painted essentially in monochromatic colours including shades of blue, blue-green, and sparingly warmer colour tones and focused on doleful subject matter such as prostitutes, beggars, and drunks.
The pictures of the following years, which exuded melancholy and sadness, inspired no affection among the public and buyers. Today, however, these sombre works are among his most popular paintings. The Blue Period was followed by Picasso’s Rose Period, in which he moved towards a more vibrant, warm colour palette and more cheerful subject matter.
Chatter and Prattle
Pablo PicassoPablo Picasso (1881–1973), was a Spanish painter, sculptor, graphic artist, and resident in France from 1904. He was a dominant figure in avant-garde movements in the first half of the 20th century due to his technical versatility and prolific inventiveness. picasso-self-portrait Picasso’s progression in his early work is largely categorized by predominant colour schemes: His Blue Period (1901-1904) features motifs More – Facts:
- Picasso’s Blue Period, in which he saw himself thrown into a deep depression, was preceded by a series of deaths of people dear to him. In 1895, his seven-year-old sister Conchita died of Diptheria; in 1899, the painter Hortensi Guell, who was a member of Picasso’s circle in Barcelona, committed suicide by throwing himself off a cliff. Further, Picasso was also aware of Vincent van GoghVincent van Gogh (1853 – 1890) is one of the renowned Post-Impressionist artists, best known for his striking use of colour, emphatic brushwork, and contoured forms. As a son of a pastor, the Dutch artist war brought up in a religious and cultured atmosphere. After working unsuccessfully as a clerk at a bookstore, as a salesman, and as a preacher More suicide.
- However, the impact of the suicide of his friend Carles Casagemas, who took his life at a café in Paris by shooting himself in the right temple in the beginning of 1901, had the strongest impact on Picasso’s mental state, triggering his depression further. Picasso later recalled: “I started painting in blue when I learned of Casagemas’ death.”
Recommended Readings:
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Marilyn McCully et al. (2019): Picasso: Blue and Rose Periods
Victoria Charles (2019): Pablo Picasso Masterwoks
Roland Doschka et al. (2000): Pablo Picasso: Metamorphoses of the Human Form : Graphic Works, 1895-1972
Francoise Gilot et al. (2020): Life with Picasso
Christopher Lloyd (2018): Picasso and the Art of Drawing
