The relationship of Pablo Picasso and Gertrude Stein has to be understood in this study and Gertrude Stein’s friendship with Picasso and her influence in his artwork and development of career. Pablo Picasso was born in 1881 in Malaga, Spain and later, he has been associated with a large group of writers and artists in early stage of career. In 1904, Pablo Picasso settled in Paris and got friendly with artist named Georges Braque. Later, Picasso and Braque have developed Cubism (Baldassari, 2006). The painting style of Picasso has been changed many a times in his overall career and then after, produced a wide range of images and the images range from classical figures to abstract images. The images have been widely exhibited and also, considered as one of the most influential figures in the century of art. He is a prolific painter and also, accomplished as a major sculptor and created theatrical designs and ceramics. The Gertrude Stein is one of the most popular Americans who have responded with enthusiasm for revolution of art in the early years of century (Picasso, 2008). She held weekly salons in Paris apartment which has considered being the magnet for American artists and writers with the support of Braque, Picasso and Gris and it was clearly evident in their acquisitions of work. The early patronage and friendship was of very high importance for Picasso.
Picasso, Pablo, and Gertrude Stein (2008), Correspondence: Pablo Picasso and Gertrude Stein.
Edited by Lorna Scott Fox. London: Seagull Books, 2008.
The portrait of expatriate writer has been started in the year of 1905 and at the end of the period before taking the cubism (Portus, 2006). The Stein has been shown as seated in an armchair wearing her brown velvet skirt and coat. It has been suggested by the monumental depiction for impressive demeanor in a considerable manner.
In the book of Gertrude Stein, Stein has described the making of the picture that Picasso has never posed for him since he was sixteen years old. And she has never given thought of having her portrait till she was twenty four years old. At last, she posed for the portrait ninety times and the portrait relates to the pose of a large broken armchair on which Gertrude Stein posed. The Picasso used to sit on a kitchen chair where he used to print and also, there was a couch on which everybody used to sit and sleep (Lubar, 2010). There were so many canvases and large easels at the time of posing the portrait. She took the pose and Picasso sat very tight on the chair and very close to canvas on small palette of gray brown color at the time of beginning of painting. Suddenly, Picasso painted whole head and then, the picture was left for long time.
Portus, Javier. Spanish Portrait from El Greco to Picasso (2006), London and New York:
Scala, 2006.
Picasso completed the head after his trip to Spain in 1906 at the time of fall season. The reduction of figure to simple masses and faces with heavy lidded eyes were made which reflects on the recent encounter with the African, Roman and reflections for adoption of cubism. After the painting of head which differed from the body and hands, the personal vision and reality have guided for the further work and painting to Picasso (Vincent, 2007). The commentators have also considered that the Stein did not look like portrait and then, Picasso has said that the portrait will look like the Stein.
Early patronage and friendship with Gertrude Stein
In 1905, the Gertrude Stein commissioned a portrait by Picasso and at the same time, the story of Picasso and Stein goes like that the Stein sat for Picasso so many times and Picasso eventually look at her and said that he could no longer see her face at the time of looking at her. After wiping out the face before his trip to Spain, Picasso painted the mask type face of Stein and reflected the interest in sculpture which he just have seen in the Louvre exhibition (Anne, 2006). Another element to this anecdote is that the Stein’s friends noted that the painting did not look like her. Later, the Stein said that the image of her that has been thought was successful in a considerable manner.
Giroud, Vincent (2007), Picasso and Gertrude Stein. New York: The Metropolitan Museum
of Art, 2007.
The early patronage and friendship with Gertrude Stein have developed the career of Picasso in a considerable manner and in the long time. The artist Pablo Picasso has been recognized as a main artist because of his early work of Gertrude Stein painting. The painting has contributed a lot to the career development of Picasso. It has been considered that the Picasso and Stein were both expatriates and was living in Paris (Brilliant, 2004). The Stein has become very important as an early patron of the artist Picasso. The Gertrude Stein was always a formidable woman and Picasso depicted her and acted well in the artistic salon.
Stein have posed so many times for her portrait but the artist was not satisfied with her pose and image and was not satisfied with the way he painted her face. Later, the artist has discovered the solution. The essential abandonment of the faithful representation of features of Stein and the artist also turned into primitive roman and archaic sculpture for further inspiration. At the time of painting the body of Stein, the visage was looking like the planar in the final portrait. The Stein’s face treatment was unexpected and ironic (Javier, 2006). The Stein have also hung the portrait in a prominent manner in the gallery room where she used to held her salons and it has been considered that the Picasso was a frequent guest at her salons.
Lubar, Robert S. (2010), “Unmasking Pablo’s Getrude: Queer Desire and the Subject of
Portraiture.” Art Bulletin 79.1 (2010): 57–84.
Friendship of Gertrude Stein & Pablo Picasso
Gertrude Stein was one of the popular people to respond for European art in the modern revolution. In the autobiography of her partner Alice B. Toklas, Stein supported many artists including Picasso, Braque, and Matisse (Giroud, 2007). The early patronage was successful for the later success of artist in particular because the painting was a major reason of the career development of Picasso in a considerable manner.
The re-opening of Musee Picasso in Paris, the remarkable friendship of two cultural great people, Stein and Picasso have done great job in the art industry. The Gertrude Stein arrived in Paris in 1903 with her brother and the intention of her brother was to pursue career in art in Europe (Robert, 2010). The Stein was a drop out from the medical school and was looking to recover the emotional draining after the destructive relationships. They have made some major acquisitions in the year of 1904 and until 1905; they acquired the salon names as d’Automne in October where the Picasso have found the way for collection. There are considerable evidences which suggest that the Stein was a main influence on the career and personal life of Pablo Picasso and up until now, it has been reluctant to grant a prominent place in the story of modernism and Picasso.
Brilliant, Richard (2004), Portraiture. London: Reaktion, 2004.
Gertrude Stein’s friendship with Picasso and her influence in his artwork
The painting of stein was extensively grew up and it has almost unrivalled the private collection in the work of Picasso and at the same time, the Stein have also collected the Picasso’s work in early years and Picasso have remained struggling artist for long time and swallowed the artistry in Paris and continued to barter paintings. The Stein has also controlled the output of Picasso and then after, the Picasso have started the collection with the ‘Young Girl with A Basket of Flowers’ and continued for further art work. In fact, Stein has continued to defend the representation of nature of cubism in her whole life. The resemblances or image of life also mimics the images and perception in the paintings. In her books, she has also mentioned the incident when Picasso have completed his cubist paintings Horta de Ebro and Maison sur la Colline and indicated that the Stein have inspired Picasso in paintings. The most notable experiment of Stein was the verbal cubism of the poetry book which is a series of prose poems. The descriptions in poems have indicated the resemblance and portraiture in the work of Picasso with the cubist description and thereby, Stein has contributed to the art work and career development of Picasso in a positive manner.
“Pablo Picasso: Gertrude Stein (2006).” In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art Web site.
References
Baldassari, Anne, and William Rubin (2006), eds. Picasso and Portraiture: Representation
and Transformation. New York: HNA, 2006.
Brilliant, Richard (2004), Portraiture. London: Reaktion, 2004.
Giroud, Vincent (2007), Picasso and Gertrude Stein. New York: The Metropolitan Museum
of Art, 2007.
Lubar, Robert S. (2010), “Unmasking Pablo’s Getrude: Queer Desire and the Subject of
Portraiture.” Art Bulletin 79.1 (2010): 57–84.
“Pablo Picasso: Gertrude Stein (2006).” In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art Web site.
Picasso, Pablo, and Gertrude Stein (2008), Correspondence: Pablo Picasso and Gertrude Stein.
Edited by Lorna Scott Fox. London: Seagull Books, 2008.
Portus, Javier. Spanish Portrait from El Greco to Picasso (2006), London and New York:
Scala, 2006.
