Picasso's "Blue" Period: What Did It?

[Ravine]

Many of us know that Pablo Picasso's "Blue" period produced some of his most noted works.
So, which of his blue paints was most important to the period?
Light Blue? Dark Blue? Lightish-Medium Blue? "Heartache On Heartache" Blue?
C'mon. This is no subjective matter. It is time that a decision was made, and a ruling issued.

[LodgeDodger]

Am I blue
Am I blue
Ain't these tears in my eyes tellin' you
Am I blue
You would be too
If your plans with your man
Done fell through
There was a time
I was the only one
And now I'm the sad and lonely one, lonely, lonely
Was I gay, until today
Now he's gone and we're through
Am I blue

Oh, you know I'm blue
Oh, you make me, make me so blue
Ain't these tears in my eyes tellin' you
Oh, you makin' me so blue
You know, you know, know you do
Now my plans with my man
They done fell through

There was a time
That I was his only one
And now I'm the sad and lonely one, lonely
Was I gay, until today
But now he's gone and we're through
Am I blue

[Stosh]

Many of us know that Pablo Picasso's "Blue" period produced some of his most noted works.
So, which of his blue paints was most important to the period?
Light Blue? Dark Blue? Lightish-Medium Blue? "Heartache On Heartache" Blue?
C'mon. This is no subjective matter. It is time that a decision was made, and a ruling issued.

Perhaps it was his penchant for drinking Canadian beer that did it. His Labatts addiction probably caused it, which is why they named their beer "Blue" in honor of Picasso. They were unable to get the rights for the images for the packaging, so the historic perspective has gone by the wayside, sadly. Only the Labatts refreshment duo girls are left to console the serious art lovers.

[LodgeDodger]

Perhaps my dear Ravine, the Crayola box [[in our notable Cubist's opinion) was lacking the color blue? This might have been his way of making up for the deficiency.

[Stosh]

Perhaps my dear Ravine, the Crayola box [[in our notable Cubist's opinion) was lacking the color blue? This might have been his way of making up for the deficiency.

Shhh. You shouldn't talk about Cubists, the right wingers on Non-Detroit will come after you.

Oh wait, that's Cubans... Nevermind.

[jcole]

I think it was the blue of her eyes, um, eye or whatever.

[Retroit]

I was about to say Starry Night [[thanks to Don McLean), but that was Van Gogh.

I just looked through Picasso's blue period paintings, and I didn't recognize a single one of them. The Blue Period was followed by a Rose Period, which leads me to believe that the colors may have had something to do with which color paints were on sale at the time.

[LodgeDodger]

Hey now! This is the BLUE thread. If you wish to discuss pink, start your own thread!

[Retroit]

Pink and rose are two distinct colors that ought never to be confused, my dear.

[[)

[Ray1936]

He just got back from Vegas, blew his dough, but made friends.

[LodgeDodger]

Pink and rose are two distinct colors that ought never to be confused, my dear.

[[)

Better dead than red?

[gnome]

watched a blueflame attempt once.

[Johnnny5]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68ugkg9RePc

Blue..............

[Lowell]

The DIA's "Melancholy Woman" is one of the best Picasso blues.
http://www.dia.org/object-info/d1442...34acd5471.aspx

[LodgeDodger]

The DIA's "Melancholy Woman" is one of the best Picasso blues.
http://www.dia.org/object-info/d1442...34acd5471.aspx

It's nice, but it depresses me. Makes me feel kinda blue...

[jcole]

At the risk of being labeled a Neanderthal, I don't get Picasso. Never did, never will. When his art is not weird, it's just ugly.

[Lowell]

I can understand your opinion JCole and I think Picasso was and is over-rated. Nonetheless he was immensely talented and at the forefront of creative innovation, albeit in directions that I find decadent. There is no denying his ability to traditionally paint and do 'make a horse look like a horse' representational works. He did this in his early years. Witness this 'Old Fisherman' painting he did as a 14 year old.


IMO his strongest period was his blue period where craftsmanship and emotion are in equal proportions. From there on he seems to become a cartoonist and a trendie, even if he is the trend setter, where emotion becomes the point and craftsmanship gets thrown out the window.

One his works is most cited works by art historians as a 'turning point' in western art is his 1907 "Les Demoiselles d'Avignon". To me the work is hideous and symbolic of the mental breakdown of western civilization soon to be manifested in WWI and its cousin WWII.


But, love it or hate it, its brash freedom and break with the traditions launched him to the forefront of where art was moving. His cubist works are among the best of that genre, but cubism strikes me as more gimmick than substance. Again the DIA has an excellent work of that period.

One of the many unfortunate outcomes of the rise of totalitarian Fascism and then Communism was the their rabid villianization of 'modern' art. This elevated these works and styles in the eyes of big money capitalist democracy collectors. They became defenders of art they really didn't like or understand and drove up their price and fame in the process. Once again Picasso found himself in the center of this with his 1937 painting "Guernica" in reaction to the fascist bombing of that Basque city.


To get interesting take on how this all took hold, including modern architecture, I recommend reading Tom Wolfe's The Painted Word and From Bauhaus to Our House..

[Bobl]

At the risk of being labeled a Neanderthal, I don't get Picasso. Never did, never will. When his art is not weird, it's just ugly.

I agree, although Lowell's post has been helpful to this undereducated person.

Once in a blue moon, I might look at some of Picasso's work, though. One never knows when one might have an "ahaa" moment, and suddenly see the light.
The photo was lifted from a Rhode Island gardening blog. [[diggingr.wordpress.com)

[jcole]

Thanks for the information/explanation, Lowell. His portrait of the fisherman is beautiful. Maybe if he'd have quit there, I'd appreciate him more.
It's not any modern art that I don't understand/appreciate. I like Dali, Lichtenstein, Warhol and others. It actually may have something to do with the fact that I find Picasso's personality and attitudes distasteful

[Patrick]

It was the Absinthe man! No, wait...that was the guy who sliced off his ear.

[Ravine]

I am almost stunned. This should be impossible.

[jcole]

I am almost stunned. This should be impossible.

What's that; the ability to have a conversation on here without anybody name calling or turning it political?
Or that an entire thread was created from you original post?