Musical instruments 1912

This painting, *Musical Instruments*, was made by Picasso with oils on canvas, but when? Look how he’s pushed those muted browns, tans, blacks, and creams to create this floating world of objects. He's got musical instruments in there, or at least fragments of them. It’s like the residue of a party, or the scattered thoughts in a musician’s head after a concert. He is trying to grasp something fleeting and ephemeral like music. I bet he stood back a lot and squinted. What color does sound have? It’s all about trying to capture the essence of something, not just its surface. You know, painting is such a great way to experience the world – not just to copy it, but to really feel it, to break it apart and put it back together in a way that makes sense. It's amazing how artists can inspire each other across time, riffing on each other's ideas.