Access a slow-looking exercise related to this work.

Transcript
Marilee Talkington: This "Self-portrait" by Pablo Picasso was painted in Paris in late 1901. Oil on canvas, it measures about two and a half feet tall by two feet wide.

In it, Picasso gazes out at us, the viewers, with his shoulders at a slight angle. His body fills the frame from the center to where his arm and shoulder reach the right edge of the painting. His torso ends along the bottom edge, which cuts off just below his waist. The stark background is a grayish-blue color, with visible brushstrokes encircling his torso. A few inches of open space lead up the left edge of the painting, extending above and around his head.

Although Picasso was twenty when he painted this self-portrait, it creates the impression of an older man. The cool, dark, and muted colors create a stark contrast to the pale tones of his face. Shadows fill sunken cheeks and emphasize high cheekbones. His thin eyebrows over eyes outlined in black and dark round pupils provide a sharp contrast from his washed-out complexion. His light, reddish-brown, wispy beard and moustache complement the light pinkish tint in his lips.

His short dark hair is painted almost like a helmet, seemingly matted and rounded on his head. It provides a counterpoint to the bulky, dark overcoat that engulfs his body. The coat is painted in dark shades, with a seam down the center and a single round button at the high, rigid collar that conceals his neck. Only the skin on his face and his left ear (to the viewer’s right) are visible.

Stark and somber, this self-portrait has no visible signature on the face of the painting.

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