“Boy with a Pipe”
Please enjoy this hauntingly beautiful early Picasso painting…
“Boy with a Pipe” is an oil on canvas painting from 1905 by the Spanish artist, Pablo Picasso. Picasso is most remembered for founding the Cubism art movement. His artistic growth mirrored the progression of modern art throughout the twentieth century. This was made during a time in his career known as his Rose Period.
In this piece, Picasso paints the portrait of a teenage boy. The boy is seated and dressed in blue denim coveralls. A wreath of roses sits upon his head. Two large bouquets are depicted in the background behind the boy, on either side of him, almost as a pair of angel wings. In his left hand, he holds a pipe. Much speculation has been made about why the pipe is depicted backwards. The boy is looking at the viewer with a somber expression. His eyes are almost entirely dark, adding to the mood.
This piece was painted when Picasso was 24 years old. He created several preliminary studies of the of the boy in various positions before settling on this pose. Picasso initially painted a study from life and set the painting aside. About a month later after a bout of inspiration, he added the wreath of roses around the boy’s head. The model for this piece is believed by some to have been a neighborhood street kid nicknamed Little Louis, who hung around the artists and performers. Louis unfortunately died young.
In 1904, Picasso moved to the Montmartre neighborhood of Paris. This marked the beginning of his Rose Period, which lasted until 1906. His Rose Period pieces were lighter in color and tone than his preceding Blue Period. At this point in his life, his work was starting to get recognized by other artists, such as Gertrude Stein.
This painting was last sold at an auction in 2004. Though valued at $70,000,000, “Boy with a Pipe” sold for $104,000,000, far beyond expectations. Additionally, it was the first painting ever to be sold for over $100,000,000.
“Boy with a Pipe” is currently in a private collection.
For more on Pablo Picasso, please visit his short biography here.
You can find more artists to learn about here.
