Arlequin

Picasso is one of the most influential artists of the 20th century.

However many might not immediately recognize this work as his, as it's often not known how versatile his style was.

His work can be divided into different phases - Blue, Pink, and Primitive - each reflecting significant changes in his personal life.

The Blue Period, for instance, coincides with his early life in Paris during the 1900s.

At this time, Picasso was extremely poor, struggled to find commissions and pay for food, and burned his artworks to heat his atelier.

He also experienced profound personal loss with the suicide of his close friend and fellow artist, Casagemas.

His work from this period is extremely gloomy and features many outcast figures such as beggars, prostitutes and alcoholics - individuals who, like Picasso, were marginalized by society.

He also became really attached to the figure of the harlequin - which symbolised his own outsider status and detachment from conventional bourgeois norms.

However as Picasso's personal circumstances changed, so did his style.

He began adding more colours. His tone became more upbeat and optimistic. He experimented with Cubism.

However, like many avant-garde artists, his experimentation came to a sudden halt with the outbreak of the First World War.

The devastation of the war stiffled a lot of artistic innovation.

In response, many artists turned back to traditional artistic forms for inspiration.

Arlequin exemplifies this shift, embodying a return to classical influences during this tumultuous period.

Yet while on the one hand, the painting's style appears traditional, on the other, it is also provocatively half-finished - highlighting Picasso’s tendency to challenge conventions, even while following a seemingly classic approach.