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Self-Portrait by Pablo Picasso

Self-Portrait

Pablo Picasso · 1906

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“Stop to see Picasso's intense self-portrait from 1906, a powerful image that captures the artist on the cusp of his groundbreaking Cubist revolution. Notice the mask-like quality of his features, hinting at his evolving artistic vision.”

ABOUT THIS WORK

This self-portrait by Pablo Picasso, painted in 1906, captures him at a pivotal moment, just as he was moving beyond his Rose Period and engaging with Henri Matisse's Fauvist innovations. The small scale of the canvas draws you in, inviting a close look at the artist's intense gaze and sculptural features. His face is rendered with a stark, almost mask-like quality, reflecting a growing interest in non-Western art forms that would soon define his "African-influenced Period." The muted, earthy tones of his skin and the simple background contrast with the sharp angles of his jawline and nose, giving the portrait a powerful, almost confrontational presence. This work is a testament to the artist's relentless experimentation, laying the groundwork for the radical changes that would soon lead to Cubism.

DETAILS
Artist
Pablo Picasso
Date
1906
Medium
Oil on canvas mounted on honeycomb panel
Location
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Dimensions
10 1/2 x 7 3/4 in. (26.7 x 19.7 cm)
Collection
Modern and Contemporary Art
Credit line
Jacques and Natasha Gelman Collection, 1998
ART MOVEMENTS
CubismPost-ImpressionismSurrealism
LOOK CLOSER

What to Notice

Five details hide in plain sight. Pick one and we’ll show you exactly where to look.

Self-Portrait

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01

Lit face

The light falls on the cheek, nose and open lips, while the upper face sinks into shadow. Your eye lands here first.

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02

Shadowed eyes

Look at the eyes under the hat brim. The left eye is a small dark point in shadow, and the right eye almost vanishes into the dark, yet the gaze still feels alert.

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03

Open mouth

The parted lips with a glint of teeth make the sitter seem caught mid-breath, surprised or about to speak.

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04

Scratched curls

On the left, fine light curls in the hair look incised into the wet paint, leaving thin bright lines against the dark.

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05Whole painting

Light from darkness

Nearly the whole panel is brown-black, with one warm pool of light. The figure emerges from the gloom and feels close and intimate.

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THE ARTIST

Pablo Picasso

1881–1973 · Spain

Pablo Picasso, the Spanish painter who co-founded Cubism, revolutionized 20th-century art with a career spanning over 76 years.

Read Picasso’s full story
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Further Works by Picasso

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The Old Guitarist The Old Guitarist 1903 · Art Institute of Chicago Woman with a Helmet of Hair Woman with a Helmet of Hair 1904 · Art Institute of Chicago Half-Length Female Nude Half-Length Female Nude 1906 · Art Institute of Chicago Nude with a Pitcher Nude with a Pitcher 1906 · Art Institute of Chicago Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler 1910 · Art Institute of Chicago Man with a Pipe Man with a Pipe 1915 · Art Institute of Chicago Abstraction: Background with Blue Cloudy Sky Abstraction: Background with Blue Cloudy Sky 1930 · Art Institute of Chicago The Red Armchair The Red Armchair 1931 · Art Institute of Chicago
EXPLORE THE MOVEMENT

More from Post-Impressionism

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Olive Trees Olive Trees van Gogh · 1853 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art Gustave Boyer (b. 1840) in a Straw Hat Gustave Boyer (b. 1840) in a Straw Hat Cézanne · 1870 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art The Seine at Pont de Grenelle The Seine at Pont de Grenelle Gauguin · 1875 · Wallraf–Richartz Museum Albert (René) Grenier (1858–1925) Albert (René) Grenier (1858–1925) de Toulouse-Lautrec · 1887 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
KEEP EXPLORING

More works to explore

Beyond Picasso and Post-Impressionism: works from the same years, and from the other movements Self-Portrait belongs to.

Antwerp Same movement · Cubism Antwerp Georges Braque · 1906 · Art Institute of Chicago Lozenge Composition with Yellow, Black, Blue, Red, and Gray Same era · 1890s–1920s Lozenge Composition with Yellow, Black, Blue, Red, and Gray Piet Mondrian · 1921 · Art Institute of Chicago Death in the Garden (Legend) Same movement · Surrealism Death in the Garden (Legend) Paul Klee · 1919 · Art Institute of Chicago Frauenkopf vor Sonnenblumen Same era · 1890s–1920s Frauenkopf vor Sonnenblumen Ernst Ludwig Kirchner · 1906 · Museum Frieder Burda Dada Gauguin Same movement · Surrealism Dada Gauguin Max Ernst · 1920 · Art Institute of Chicago Barber Same era · 1890s–1920s Barber Mikhail Larionov · 1907 · Russian Museum The Eye Same movement · Surrealism The Eye René Magritte · 1932 · Art Institute of Chicago Landscape at L'Estaque Same era · 1890s–1920s Landscape at L'Estaque Georges Braque · 1906 · Art Institute of Chicago
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