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© Copyrighted Artwork
This artwork is protected by copyright. We cannot display images of works by artists who passed away after 1954.
La Vie
by Pablo Picasso, 1903
Artwork Details
Details
- Year
- 1903
- Medium
- Oil on canvas
- Size
- 196.5 × 129.2 cm
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Dating to 1903, large, mysterious canvas in 1903 during his Blue Period. The composition shows a nude couple on the left facing a mother and child on the right, with two additional paintings visible in the background. The work is considered one of the major works of Picasso's early career and hangs at the Cleveland Museum of Art.
X-ray analysis reveals that Picasso originally painted his friend Casagemas (who committed suicide) as the male figure, later changing it to a self-portrait. The painting's title, meaning "Life," suggests an allegory about love, death, and creativity. The pervading blue tones create a somber atmosphere appropriate to these weighty themes.
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About La Vie
La Vie is displayed at the Cleveland Museum of Art in Ohio, where it's one of the museum's most important paintings.
La Vie means 'Life' in French. The work interpreted as an allegory exploring themes of love, creativity, mortality, and the stages of human existence.
La Vie is considered the defining work of Picasso's Blue Period. X-rays revealed he originally painted his deceased friend Casagemas, adding psychological depth to the work.
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