Portrait of Gustave Coquiot 1901

This is Picasso’s portrait of Gustave Coquiot, made with oil on canvas. It has these earthy, muted tones, punctuated by flashes of red in the shoes and in the paintings in the background. I imagine Picasso, with the energy and bravado of youth, attacking the canvas, laying down these strokes with confidence. What was it like to be Picasso, already a sensation at a young age, painting this portrait? He probably didn't labour over it too much. You can almost feel the speed of the brush as it captures Coquiot's likeness, but it is Picasso’s likeness, too. Look at how the red shoes anchor the whole composition! It’s as though Picasso's saying: “I’m here, too.” So, where does portraiture end and self-portraiture begin? Artists are always in conversation with one another across time, inspiring each other’s creativity. The history of painting is one big, ongoing exchange of ideas.