Seller of gul 1902

Here we have Picasso’s “Seller of Gul,” painted with oil on canvas. It’s this ghostly blue, almost monochromatic, which I think speaks to a sense of mood. The brushwork is loose, kind of like he was trying to capture something fleeting, not fixed. If you look closely at the old man's face, you can see how the paint is layered, scratched, and built up. It’s like Picasso was wrestling with the form. He's got this stark white beard and the hat pulled low, so you focus on his expression. There’s a real vulnerability there, even though the paint is so raw and unrefined. The thin wash around the figures gives a sense of depth without a lot of fuss. The painting reminds me a bit of some of El Greco's figures, you know, elongated and with this intense spiritual weight. Both artists capture a sense of humanity that feels timeless. With Picasso, it's never about perfection. It's about feeling and being present in the act of painting.