Paul as harlequin 1924

Picasso painted this portrait of his son, Paul, as a harlequin, we think, sometime in the early 1920s. You can see how the geometric shapes of the harlequin suit are echoed in the planes of the face. There's a way the painting doesn't hide its process, which is something I really appreciate in a painting. Look at the way the paint is applied so thinly, almost like a watercolor, allowing the texture of the canvas to show through. It's as if Picasso wanted us to see the bones of the painting, the raw materials that went into making it. The color feels muted and chalky, not exactly sad, but maybe thoughtful? Look at the simple brushstrokes that make up the chair, and how the black behind the figure almost seems to advance into the foreground. Paul as harlequin reminds me a little of Manet, with the way the figure seems to exist in its own world, separate from us, but connected by something intangible. Ultimately, a painting doesn’t have to give us all the answers. It's a starting point for our own thoughts and feelings.