Homme à la pipe 1968

Pablo Picasso made this painting, “Homme à la pipe,” with oil on canvas. Looking at the layers of paint, you can see the process by which it was made. The colors are applied in broad strokes, each one capturing a specific form or element, from the sitter’s face to the decorative patterns of his garments. Picasso was concerned not just with what was depicted, but how. Notice how the paint itself becomes expressive, almost sculptural. The materiality of the paint is important here. It’s a commercial product, readily available, unlike the pigments of earlier eras, which had to be painstakingly prepared. The loose handling of the medium, the way it’s allowed to drip and pool, speaks to a modern sensibility, in which the artist's hand is proudly displayed. In the end, it’s Picasso’s engagement with the medium and the process that truly defines this painting, blurring the lines between high art and the everyday, making it a powerful statement.