Picasso's Family of Saltimbanques - Essay Sample

Introduction

Pablo Picasso's "Family of Saltimbanques" painting, falls under Picasso's "pink period" that substituted the dark and sad "blue period." It is also known as the "circus" since the majority of the heroes associated with the painting are roving and wandering artists. Actors of the circus in that era, represented the lower class, a group of the societies' losers, even though they were independent and free. From late 1904 to early 1906, Picasso's arts focused on a particular theme: the itinerant circus performer or the saltimbanques (Muniz, Norris, & Allan, 2014). Performers of the circus were known to be social outcasts, independent, yet poor; and for that reason, they offered an influential representation for the isolation of unconventional artists like Picasso. The "Family of Saltimbanques" works as an autobiographical representation, Picasso's concealed group picture, and his circle. In Picasso's circus or rose period, he moves far from the extreme pathos of his previous blue era, but in the family of saltimbanques painting, the circus period artwork, a mood of sad contemplation and introspection triumphs.

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Pablo Picasso's Life as an Artist

After moving from the blue period, Picasso moved into the "rose period." A notable thematic transformation was the change to harlequins or saltimbanques (Blum & Elsa, 2007). He portrays them in everyday living, together with their close family members, against their performances. In most of the paintings and etchings, the characters appear to be very patient which is not in line with their characterization as circus performers.

Picasso experienced a particular affiliation with the circus performers since he was transient during his initial years in Paris when yearning for acknowledgment. After moving into the Montmartre neighborhood, Picasso lived in a Parisian quarter where together with his allies, they could attend the 'Cirque Medrano' frequently, contributing to his enduring attraction and motivation with circus performers. There is a presumption that every one of the characters of the painting truly existed, and they are not the product of the artist's imagination (Muniz et al., 2014).

Habitually, the main topic of this art appeared to be quite personal and intimate. In this piece of art, Picasso seems to be the harlequin on the right, and the little girl is Conchita, his dead younger sister. On the right side is his lover. Other etchings portray a family consisting of a child, father, and mother. Some believe that this is Picasso's private fantasy where he is still the male harlequin, with a non-existent child, and a lover (Papa, 2018). It is with no doubt that he was also influenced by Apollinaire's work, who frequently applied the topic of saltimbanques in his art. Picasso devoted several paintings in the saltimbanques collection to Apollinaire with handwritten engravings resulting to a postulation that the pair made a plan of writing and illustrating a book on the topic together (Blum & Elsa, 2007).

Picasso's Work on the "Family of Saltimbanques"

The first tone of this work of art was pale blue. Inspection has uncovered three different conditions of this picture under its extreme form (Blum & Elsa, 2007). In them, Picasso adjusted characters from blue to rose, intentionally enabling the darker paint to dominate as he revised his canvas. Along these lines, he formed a contour and a dark, hidden atmosphere worth his starving stray like figures. The distinct foundation that Picasso appointed to this art casts a poignant feeling of melancholy on these drifter entertainers. Its rose-blue chalky palette might signify the shades of actual circus outfits of the period while creating a mood of eerie distress.

The figures of youthful gymnastic performers are somewhat swung to the side. They glance at the attractive woman, confined from the parting. A hefty man in a fool's cap and the red suit is most likely the clan's head. His character signifies satisfaction and success in life. He converses with the Harlequin. The circus performers froze like they were looking forward to some command to proceed onward. Concerning the technical side of the depiction, Picasso worked here in the standard for the "rose period" shading - pink, silver, golden, ocherous, and warm scope of colors. He gave a lot more noteworthy consideration to the art - X-ray analysis has demonstrated that the artist was changing the arrangement of characters on the painting many times until the ideal outcome was accomplished (Papa, 2018).

The artist set the figures of performers in the abandoned scene, without vegetation. The background representation of a blue sky is covered with mists. All the six characters of the paintings rationally distanced from one another - their perspectives do not relate, there is no communication with each other, yet they appear to be harmonious (Papa, 2018). There is a certain irregularity portrayed in their figures, eyes, and faces. Aggregate disconnection describes the character's sadness. The primary color demonstrates the idealistic start, as opposed to cynical completion. The color shades and brushwork depict a sentiment of despairing. The art legends are in a depressive, thoughtful mood (Muniz et al., 2014). It passes on the states of unexpected waiting and the void of being.

The plot of the structure is likewise amazingly deplorable. It seems that this somewhat enormous family is going to move someplace again, yet everybody is hanging tight for a pale-faced lady who sits nearer to the observer, sadly staring into the distance, and for unknown reasons, not in a rush of leaving this spot. There is also an assumption that the painting demonstrates the separation of close companions (Blum & Elsa, 2007). The idea of their action could be followed through the garments. Nonetheless, the connection to the inventive surrounding equally exhibits their legs - they appear to be in specific dancing positions.

Harlequin with a scarf covering his neck, unfortunately, takes a glimpse at the stout man standing opposite him. No doubt, the veil symbolizes confinement. Likely, the performing artist is inside certain limits that exploit him. His checked outfit which used to engage the group of onlookers so regularly, actually, makes the picture dull. The young lady gloomily stares at her feet. It appears that it is difficult for her to come to terms with these moments. The dark wings obscure her representation and restrict freedom. Maybe, an exceptionally high cost was paid for it.

Message Conveyed by the Art

The family of saltimbanques talks of Picasso's personal experiences and feelings. Hence the artist portrays his overall attitude towards the world of art. Picasso paints himself in the presentation of the sad harlequin with a lady by the hand who represents his thoughts. He turns around, waves goodbye and move away from the happy and self-sufficient life. The shawl covering his neck squeezes his throat and restricts the determination.

Picasso made numerous pictures of circus entertainers in 1904- 1905, the majority of them speaking to couples with their children and animals, presented "portrait" figures and images in training. Picasso's various deviations of style amid his long life were codetermined by his oblivious conflicts and the changes of his aesthetic character, evolution, and endowment. His amazingly fluid and flexible artistic skills and a wide selection of models conveys a message of his artistic developments of style and structure, and are not demonstrative of individual personality dissemination (Muniz et al., 2014). Resentment was fundamentally activated in the administration of Picasso's revolutionary divergence and separation from the common forms of Western artistry. The saltimbanque family would be recreated once again in Picasso's journey and the fashioned universe of his craft (Papa, 2018).

Conclusion

Most of Picasso's works during the "rose period" are infiltrated with the depth of the terrible deprivation and loneliness. In the same way as other Picasso's works, the "Family of Saltimbanques" (Circus Family) can be found in the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. The Rose Period's Family of Saltimbanques, crafted by Picasso during the early 20th century similarly features the propensities of a painter who is reluctant to be categorized as an example of just a single kind of painting. His significance originated from his capacity to rise above certain artistic categories while never losing any acumen or credibility

It was the glamorized opportunity that tricked the cutting-edge artists including Picasso, who looked forward to "misleading" the chains of a scholarly genre and succeeding their imaginative minds, in spite of the conservatism and the criticism in society. Therefore, as observed, around then the depiction of circus entertainers was prominent. That is the reason Picasso additionally could not abandon it superfluously.

References

Blum, H. P., & Elsa, B. J. (2007). The Models of Picasso's Rose Period: The Family of Saltimbanques. The American Journal of Psychoanalysis, 67(2), 181-196. Retrieved from https://link.springer.com/article/10.1057/palgrave.ajp.3350023

M. Muniz Jr, A., Norris, T., & Alan Fine, G. (2014). Marketing Artistic Careers: Pablo Picasso as Brand Manager. European Journal of Marketing, 48(1/2), 68-88. Doi: 10.1108/EJM-01-2011-0019

Papa, E. (2018). Picasso Under Investigation Condition Assessment of the Acrobat Family by Pablo Picasso. University of Gothenburg Department of Conservation, 1-44. Retrieved from http://www.conservation.gu.se