Old blind man with boy 1903

This painting of an old blind man with a boy, by Pablo Picasso, is an essay in blue. It is swimming in the somber tones of a blue period. I imagine Picasso, restless and roaming, conjuring this image of the pair in his studio, trying to capture the weight of their world. Look at how he layers the blues, thin in some places and thick in others, creating a surface that feels both melancholic and tangible. The elongated limbs and faces are really interesting. It’s like he's stretching their suffering across the canvas, making it impossible to look away. The texture is smooth, but it has a clear sense of layering to create the figures of the old man and the boy. It’s a heavy painting, and Picasso probably felt that weight too, as he made it. But there is also something resilient in the boy’s gesture as he eats. Picasso must have been in conversation with other artists of his time, like the Spanish masters, maybe even El Greco. He had a deep understanding of their use of color and form to convey emotion. Artists borrow from each other and argue with one another. That's how painting develops over time.