Jeff's Met Picks: Picasso

The Blind Man's Meal

Pablo Picasso  (Spanish, Malaga 1881–1973 Mougins, France)

There was a recent retrospective of Picasso at The Met and all of his "periods" paintings were grouped together. I recall entering the "Blue Period" Room and likening it to a "cathedral of sadness." This painting is extraordinary on many levels. It shows Picasso's development from representational art to abstract expressionism. Hints of his "cubist" period to come are present in his rendering of the blind man's musculature, his clothing, the objects, but also present is Picasso's expert draftsmanship. He could render a human emotion with a line. The loneliness of this figure, groping for his wine, is heightened by the blue palette Picasso employs. And the honesty of the feeling is authentic. This was a particularly sad time in Picasso's life and, like all great artists, he turns that sadness into beauty.