Picasso: Wait, what?

I was thrilled, while at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, to turn and see one of Picasso’s most famous paintings! I thought “Gosh, I didn’t know it was HERE.”

Well, it isn’t. It is most certainly a masterpiece, but it is slightly different than the famous painting of the same name and year.

Three Musicians (1921) uses Synthetic Cubism, which is a “cut-paper style.”( You will know this style from Matisse.) Three masked musicians play various instruments. On the left is a harlequin playing the violin, in the middle is a sailor, maybe, or a clown playing the recorder, and on the right is a Dominican friar. I feel like Picasso is using a sense of humor in creating this. Strong vertical lines and gentle horizontal lines dominate the painting with the occasional diagonal line to introduce some tension. Beneath the whimsical portrayal is the more solid idea of three individuals performing as one entity. It is also a bit poignant; it was painted after the Second World War and has been interpreted as depicting lost prewar friendships.

If interested, you can check out the Museum of Modern Art in New York City to see the other Three Musicians painting from 1921.