Joueur de flute et mangeur de pastèque 1965

This is Picasso’s Joueur de flute et mangeur de pastèque, or Flute Player and Watermelon Eater, and it’s a great example of his playful exploration of form and color. The painting feels immediate, like a sketch, and the paint is applied in simple blocks. Look at how Picasso uses color to define the figures, especially the cool pinks and blues against the green background. It’s almost like a collage, where shapes are pieced together to create the figures. I love how the flute player’s eyes are closed in concentration, and how the watermelon eater looks straight out at us, engaging the viewer in the scene. There’s a real sense of freedom in his approach to painting. You could compare this to the work of someone like Matisse, who was also interested in simplifying forms and using bold colors. But where Matisse’s work feels decorative, Picasso’s has a raw, almost childlike energy. It’s a great reminder that art can be about playfulness and experimentation, and that sometimes the simplest gestures can be the most powerful.