Photograph by Yves Manciet
Edward Quinn began photographing Picasso in 1951; a black-and-white image he took two years later captures Picasso in a quiet moment at his studio in France’s Côte d’Azur. The artist faces away from the camera, arms crossed, one hand clutching a stick of charcoal. The photo’s composition is crowded with metal plates, Cubist-style paintings, shelves littered with tools, and a smattering of ceramic pieces. An unpainted canvas with faint lines sketched onto it matches Picasso’s starched white shirt, providing a nice visual break from the chaotic scene surrounding him. He appears caught in a pensive moment of pause, and we’re led to wonder if it’s authentic concern on his face or a well-played act for the camera.
That same year, Yves Manciet photographed Picasso at work in the Madoura ceramics workshop in Vallauris. In one photograph, Picasso wears a knit skullcap and stares at a wall lined with his work: animal-like ceramic pitchers, abstract drawings of bursting bouquets, and his much-celebrated plates, many of which are adorned with simple faces or lines drawings of fish or an owl. Another shot feels more intimate, picturing Picasso in the act of painting a gothic pitcher, sun streaming in from a window behind him. As is the case with the other photographs selected for this issue, viewers are given a behind-the-scenes look into Picasso’s studio and process. The man himself, however, appears aloof and unreachable. His pose suggests he is aware of the camera, but he doesn’t ever seem to acknowledge it. He’s often captured in profile or three-quarter view, his eyes gazing beyond the frame—decisively directing the viewer’s gaze.
Comments