Pablo Picasso the Chameleon

When discussing modern or 20th-century art—how it emerged and where it began—Picasso is a name that cannot be avoided. I had encountered some of his works before, but it wasn't until this project that I began tracing his development from his early years to the end of his life. I am still amazed by the quantity and quality of his works, as well as the various styles and genres he explored. Choosing which of Picasso’s self-portraits to include in my project was a bittersweet process. On one hand, there were many to choose from; on the other hand, there were almost too many. His self-portraits constitute a significant portion of my visual resources, yet they represent only a fraction of his extensive collection. I selected eleven, which is only half of my collection, covering his youth (1900, at 19 years old) to his later years (the year before his death). From observing Picasso’s self-portraits, I believe he belongs to the category of painters who use self-portraits as a diary, similar to Goya. However, accessing Picasso’s paintings is not as easy as Goya’s, especially his late works due to copyright issue. I have encountered similar issues with other 20th-century artists due to copyright restrictions. Fortunately, during a trip to Paris in July with a friend, I visited the Musée Picasso Paris (The Picasso Museum), where I was able to take photos and videos to gather materials for my event, including The Young Painter (1972). Picasso’s life, in its various stages, is honestly reflected in his works, and by examining his paintings, we can walk through his life, interwoven with our own experiences.