Last year we started a series of biographical articles about the characters that appear in the paintings of Picasso from the collection of the museum. They are people with names and surnames, intimate friends, close relations or simply acquaintances that passed through Picasso’s life. Of all of them, the artist did portraits using different techniques and styles that allow us to appreciate the wealth of registers that the artist mastered.
We thought it would interesting to find a few more references about the lives of these people, who in the collective imagery often remain eclipsed by the shadow of the artist, at the same time as we make the jigsaw of the relations in the life of Picasso larger. The small biography of each of them accompanies the portraits of the people, as well as photographs from the period which let us compare the portrait with the person portrayed.
As follows we invite you to discover the inhabitants whose biographies we have been researching:
Àngel Fernández de Soto, the dandy friend of Picasso
Pablo Picasso. Picasso, Àngel Fernández de Soto and Sebastià Junyer i Vidal in a café. Barcelona, c. 1903. Pen and sepia ink on paper. 13.2 x 9 cm. Gift of Sebastià Junyer i Vidal, 1966. Museu Picasso, Barcelona. Photo: Estudi Gasull. MPB 70.808 | Picasso, Ángel Fernández de Soto and Carles Casagemas on the Picasso family terrace, in the street of la Mercè circa. 1900. Source: Eduard Vallès Archive, Barcelona
Jaume Sabartés, the secretary, friend and confidante of Picasso
Portrait of Sabartés s/d. Fons Jaume Sabartés. Museu Picasso, Barcelona | Pablo Picasso. Portrait of Jaume Sabartés with ruff and cap . 22/10/1939. Oil on canvas . 46 x 38 cm. Gift of Jaume Sabartés 1952. MPB 70.241. Museu Picasso, Barcelona / Gasull
Carles Casagemas, the mysterious friend from youth of Picasso
Pablo Picasso. Retrat de Carles Casagemas. 1899-1900. Oli sobre tela. 55 x 45 cm. | Picasso, Ángel F. de Soto i Carles Casagemas a la terrassa familiar del primer, en el carrer de la Mercè c. 1900. Font: Arxiu Eduard Vallès, Barcelona
Lola Ruiz Picasso. Photographer: José Sellier. Heirs of Ricardo Huelin Ruiz-Blasco, Madrid | Pablo Picasso. Lol Lulling her Doll. Sketchbook of A Coruña, 1894. Graphite pencil on paper. Gift of Pablo Picasso, 1970. MPB 111.417
Léonide Massine, the harlequin of Picasso
Photograph of Léonide Massine, 1920. Source: Picasso in Italia, Girorgio Cortenova, 1990. | Pablo Picasso.Harlequin. 1917. Oil on canvas. 116 x 90 cm. MPB 10.941
Sebastià Junyent, modernist painter
Sebastià Junyent. Library of Catalonia | Portrait of Sebastià Junyent. Pablo Picasso, 1903. Oil on canvas. 73 x 60 cm. MPB 110.018
Josefa Ruiz Blasco Ricardo Huelin Collection | Pablo Picasso. Portrait of Aunt Pepa. Malaga, June-July 1896. Oil on canvas.57.5 x 50.5 cm. Donationby Pablo Picasso, 1970. MPB 110.010
Blanquita Suárez: variety star
Photograph of Blanquita Suárez. Source: Fundación El Molino | Blanquita Suárez. Pablo Picasso. Barcelona, 1917. Oil on canvas. Donation of the artist in 1970
The list is still getting bigger!
Cristina Martín
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