Picasso’s Self Portraits

Opening our Eyes: Picasso Lost in the Dark

A young Pablo Picasso is at home with his mother, sitting maturely on a stool with a paintbrush in his hand and a contemplative look on his face. His mother proudly says, "If you become a soldier, you'll be a general. If you become a monk, you'll end up as the Pope." Years later, a much older, confident Picasso responded, "I wanted to become a painter, and wound up as Picasso." (qtd. Gilot, 22) Picasso grew up knowing that whatever he did, he would become something special. Whatever field he chose, be it "soldier," "monk," or "painter," he would be the best. Picasso was a talented, confident individual, who was not afraid to try new techniques or themes to become the most creative painter of his time. Throughout Picasso's paintings, we see "his extraordinary freedom and independence, a freedom he lived from day to day that exalted and sometimes frightened those who approached him, a freedom that bound him to nothing." (Porzio, 21) Over the years, as his eyes widened in his self-portraits, he was able to discover different aspects of his personality that he had not been able to see before. Picasso once gave a young painter the advice, "paint what passes through your head without stopping to think whether it is good or bad." (qtd. Gallwitz, 11) It is this acceptance of the "good" and the "bad" that allowed Picasso to see everything in hmiself through the eyes he gave himself in his self-portraits. Through this self-discovery, Picasso became a master in opening his eyes to unique artistic techniques, and much deserved praise for his work followed.

However, the praise Picasso received for his marvelous work led him to develop an egocentric personality that becomes evident in the definition of his eyes in his self-portraits over the years. There is always a relation between an artist's life and an artist's work. This is what sparks such interest in Picasso: his self-portraits are literally a revelation of his life. His contradictory personality comes forth in his artistic choices and his movement from one style to another throughout his career. His constant evolution of style and revolutionary path of artistry connects to his constant search for individuality. Picasso once said, "for myself, I do not seek applause, I am not interested in the opinions of others, and I don't care about what is in vogue." (qtd. Porzio, 89) Picasso not only didn't care about what others thought; he believed that he was always right, and therefore not in need of help from anyone else. This self-centered nature comes forth in his unsuccessful search for his true personality. By painting his eyes wider and larger, he is trying to identify himself. However, the widening of his eyes only serves as an opening through which we can see his growing ego; the very aspect of his personality that blinded him from seeing what we see now.

The Exhibit
A Child Prodigy
Restless Searching
Penetrating Expressions
The "Timeless" Quest
Metamorphosis of a "Demigod"
A Masked Personality
Ultimate Failure: Hand in Hand with Success
Works Cited
About the Author

The Gallery
A Lost Childhood
Rembrandt - Picasso's Artistic Father
Formation of the Cubist Idea
Dealing with Death in the Later Years