Garcon a la Pipe

This painting, Garcon a la Pipe, was made by Pablo Picasso in 1905, during The Rose Period, which lasted from 1904 to 1906. He painted this while living in Paris, France. The identity of the boy in the painting is not certain. Some say he did not know this boy, while others believe him to be one of the people who he came into contact with where he worked, "little Louis." What drew me to this work over the others from this period was the contrast between the boy and the back ground. The boy's face is very solemn, and his clothes remind me of the paintings during The Blue Period. Looking at the boy alone, sans the crown of flowers, there feeling is somber. On the other hand, the background is decorated with flowers, which give the painting an overall lighter feel. Separately, the two aspects of the painting do not belong together. With the addition of the flower crown to the boy, there is a transition between the two opposites that brings the whole painting together.