Seated fat clown 1905

This is Picasso’s "Seated Fat Clown", a small piece done with ink and watercolor. The washes of color create a feeling of immediacy, like Picasso was trying to capture something fleeting. Look closely, and you’ll see how the clown’s body is outlined with these really decisive, almost aggressive strokes. It’s as if the ink is trying to contain the watercolor washes that threaten to spill out. I love how the clown is so contained within the image, yet the marks are so loose and free. The black ink looks almost like the scribbles of someone drawing with their eyes closed. The solid block the clown is sat upon is a good example of how he could create a sense of depth and weight with such minimal means. It reminds me a little of Guston, someone who also understood how to make a serious statement with a simple cartoon. It’s that tension between the playful and the profound that makes Picasso so compelling.