Death of Casagemas by Pablo Picasso

The intimate pain linked to the loss of a dear friend finds a poignant and solemn pictorial expression in this striking work from the beginning of the Blue Period. It is through a funeral tribute of great emotional strength that the famous painting “Death of Casagemas” bears witness to the sensitivity of Picasso Pablo. The artist uses violent color contrasts to immortalize eternal rest and ward off the tragedy of human destiny.

The painting features the profile of a deceased man resting peacefully on a white pillow in the lower foreground of the canvas. His totally impassive face is painted in cold tones of green-grey and livid blue, eyes closed in final peace. On the right, a large lit candle raises its bright yellow and orange flame which diffuses a textured clarity all around its wick. The upper background displays a bright red field applied with thick, dynamic, circular, and vibrant brushstrokes. This brutal chromatic opposition between the paleness of the deceased and the warmth of the candle powerfully structures the space.

This work demonstrates a masterful control of impasto and pictorial texture worked in full media with the brush. The painter demonstrates a unique skill in infusing a charismatic and sacred presence into this funeral portrait, thus confirming the high quality of his craftsmanship.