Pablo Picasso: February 2013

Pablo Picasso painted Girl Before A Mirror in March of 1932. Unlike The Old Guitarist, this painting is a part of Picasso's cubism period. The girl featured in the painting is Marie Therese Walter, who was a mistress of Picasso. She is featured in a number of Picasso's paintings. Seeing as that the subject of the painting is secret lover, some critics consider Girl Before a Mirror to be "erotic."

Mirror is a bright and bold painting. Picasso included a background usually used to enhance the main focus on the image but decided to make just as important and eye-catching. The diamond pattern of the backdrop is similar to the costume of the Harlequin, a comical clown character featured in the Italian Commedia dell'arte, a form of theater in Italy during the 16th-century. Picasso often related himself to the character. (Pictured right: a modern day Harlequin)

Besides so bold, the interpretations of Girl Before A Mirror are numerous. One interpretation is the brighter side of the painting represents the girl during the day when she appears more like a woman with all of her makeup on. However, the darker side represents the girl at night when she removes the mask of makeup thereby appearing like a young, vulnerable lady.

Another interpretation is the darker side represents the girl in her old age. The green mark on her forehead and her darkened facial features shows the wrinkles and "distorted body" that comes with aging. Furthermore, some believe the girl sees all her flaws that others do not; she critiques herself while the world does not want her to change.

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"Girl Before A Mirror"
Harlequin

Picasso painted The Old Guitarist in 1903 following the suicide of his best friend, Casagemas. Because of his friend's death, Picasso became more sensitive and sympathetic towards the hardships of the ill-treated. He started to paint pictures portraying the sick, the miseries of being poor, and the ostracized. Seeing as he had been less fortunate the prior year, Picasso found that he had an easy time portraying his ideas and thoughts.

The Old Guitarist was a part of Picasso's Blue Period. However, the only non-blue object and difference in color in the painting is the guitar. The rest of the painting is composed of different shades of blue. Perhaps the guitar represents hope and dreams for the hopeless guitarist. When Picasso was painting Guitarist, the Symbolist movement was making its way through literature. Works created during this time included 'blind characters who possessed powers of inner vision."Therefore, Picasso may have drawn some inspiration from a well-written novel. Finally, the "thin, skeleton-like" old man is similar to the figures in the works of El Greco, a 16th-century artist.

A fun fact about the painting is there is an almost invisible woman behind the ear and neck of the old man. Some believe that Picasso started on another painting but decided to paint the Guitarist over it because of a low supply of materials.

The original artwork is on display at the Art Institute of Chicago in the Helen Birch Bartlett Memorial Collection.

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Pablo Picasso

"Girl Before A Mirror"

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"The Old Guitarist"

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