Art Gallery: Rose Period
Rose Period
Unlike the depressing blue period, Picasso's rose period is not monotonic anymore, and he added many bright colors into his art work. Furthermore, the models in the paintings are no longer beggars and invalids, but still outsiders like penniless jesters. The change from cool to warm tones makes Picasso's work cheerful, which is also related to his experiences in life. He was already over the grief of his friend's death, and the meeting of his mistress Fernande Oliver made Picasso feel better. (Blum and Blum) This good mood was reflected in his paintings, and according to psychology, it is impossible for a human being to lie about his paintings. This is why painting therapy exists in psychology. Picasso is a traveler, and he met many others that did the same thing with him. "He [Picasso] frequented the Cirque Médrano, a longstanding circus in Montmartre. The saltimbanques, or foreign circus performers would pose for him. He probably felt a kinship with them. They were mostly Spanish, and outsiders" (Johnson). With those funny and energetic folks, Picasso began to walk out from a sorrowful mood. Picasso didn't create much art in this period.
Family of Saltimbanques, 1905
"While the harlequin resembles Picasso, the small acrobat resembles Picasso's friend, the poet Max Jacob. The deep-browed acrobat is considered to be a representation of André Salmon and the large jester is said to be a representation of Guillaume Apollinaire" (Blum and Blum). There ain't any crestfallen emotions on family's faces, yet the background set on a barren ground, the lack of background varieties create a lonely prospect of the painting.
Acrobat and Young Harlequin, 1905
Paris, the city of entertainment and design, attracted many clowns and bullfighters. During that time, the performers were usually members of one family. In Acrobat and Young Harlequin, Picasso drew a pair finish performing, The younger boy displays a hint of confidence by placing his hand on his hip, while the older one positions his hand on the younger boy's shoulder, conveying a sense of protection. Furthermore, the image creates a feeling of sadness, as the vagabond characters seem solemn with their shoulders slumped, mouths down-turned, and sorrowful expressions, which sharply contrast with the playfulness of their clothing. ("Pablo Picasso: Acrobat").
Maternité, 1905
Picasso was obsessed with painting nude women, yet he rarely painted a woman breeding her child. We can speculate from the mother's dress that she is a performer. The mother has all her focus on the child. People say the mother in Maternité is portrayed as a goddess; she reveals the greatness of a mother ("Maternite").
L'acteur, 1904
Picasso did this painting in his later blue period, so the central color theme is dark, and the red cloth looks dirty in a darker color. The jester in the art looks skinny and poor. Behind the ever-smiling faces of circus clowns are their miserable lives.
Acrobate à la Boule, 1905
Woman with Loaves, 1906
During the summer of 1906, Picasso and his companion Fernande Olivier retreated to the remote village of Gósol in the Pyrenees mountains of northeastern Spain. Olivier later recollected it as a place of pure simplicity. In his artwork featuring Olivier as a Gósol village woman, Picasso creates a timeless ambiance through his selection of subject and style, drawing inspiration from a historically distant artistic source. Olivier's stance and inflexibility in the painting bear similarity to a 12th-century sculpture of the Virgin Mary crafted in Gósol ("Woman with Loaves").
Family of Acrobats with Monkey, 1905
Picasso failed to capture the facial characteristics of money. It looks like a lion's or a dog's face instead of a monkey's. Maybe the monkey looks different in Picasso's period?
Garçon à la pipe (Boy with a Pipe), 1905
Garçon à la pipe is an ordinary portrait painted by Picasso in the Rose period. The boy is holding a pipe in his hand, and Picasso is said to have asked the boy to adjust his sitting position several times to give him the right proportions in the picture when creating this work. Picasso himself added the wreath on the boy's head. Merchants sold this art for a high price, yet the value of the painting is more like the name of Picasso on it (“Garçon à la pipe”).
Family of Jugglers, 1905
Autoportrait à la palette, 1906
Head of hurdy-gurdy, 1905
Red and blue's combination always gives people a chill. This painting can still lead the fashion of today.
Harlequin's family, 1905
Picasso loves painting nude women as always.
Harlequin on the horseback, 1905
Well, he also loves panting Harlequins.
Three Nudes, 1906 Hurdy-gurdy, 1905