Picasso painted this self-portrait after spending the summer of 1906 in Gósol, a small village in the Spanish Pyrenees. The stay has become synonymous with a decisive new direction in his style, one that moved toward simplified forms with a decidedly archaic and sculptural appearance. This work, painted as the artist turned twenty-five (at about the same time he completed his portrait of Gertrude Stein), was followed immediately by his large "Self-Portrait with Palette" (Philadelphia Museum of Art), perhaps a pendant to Gertrude Stein.

Leo and Gertrude Stein, Paris (acquired from the artist, ca. 1906–13/14); Gertrude Stein, Paris (ca. 1913/14–d. 1946); her estate (1946–68; sold on December 14, 1968, to Meyer); André Meyer, New York (1968–80; his sale, "Highly Important Paintings, Drawings and Sculpture from The André Meyer Collection," Sotheby Parke-Bernet, New York, October 22, 1980, no. 33, to Sandra Canning Kasper, New York, as agent for Tescher); Lynn Epstein Tescher (Mrs. Martin Tescher), New York (1980–86; sold on May 7, 1986, through the same agent, to Gelman); Jacques and Natasha Gelman, Mexico City and New York (1986); Natasha Gelman, Mexico City and New York (1986–d. 1998; her bequest to MMA, 1998)

New York: Museum of Modern Art. December 19, 1970–March 1, 1971. ¦Four Americans in Paris: The Collections of Gertrude Stein and Her Family.¦ p. 168

Ottawa, Canada: National Gallery of Canada. June 25–August 15, 1971. ¦Gertrude Stein & Picasso & Juan Gris.¦ cat. no. 8, ill.

New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, December 12, 1989 - April 1, 1990. London, England: Royal Academy, April 19 - July 15, 1990. ¦Gelman Collection¦. (illus. in color, p. 99 discussed p. 98).

Martigny, Suisse: Foundation Pierre Gianadda, 18 juin-1 novembre 1994. ¦de Matisse à Picasso: Collection Jacques et Natasha Gelman¦, Rédaction du catalogue: William S. Lieberman, Auteur de catalogue: Sabine Rewald, Textes de: Dawn Ades, John Ashbery, Jacques Dupin, John Golding, Lawrence Gowing, William S. Lieberman, Philippe de Montebello, Pierre Scheider et Gary Tinterow. p. 123 (illus).

New York: Museum of Modern Art, April 24 - September 17, 1996. ¦Picasso and Portraiture¦.

Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, "The Masterpieces of French Painting from The Metropolitan Museum of Art 1800-1920," February 4-May 6, 2007, no. 126.

Neue Nationalgalerie, Berlin, "Französische Meisterwerke des 19. Jahrhunderts aus dem Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York," May 31-October 7, 2007, unnumbered cat. (p. 251).

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. "The Steins Collect: Matisse, Picasso, and the Parisian Avant Garde," May 21–September 6, 2011, no. 239.

Paris. Grand Palais, Galeries nationales. "Matisse, Cézanne, Picasso... L'aventure des Stein," October 5, 2011–January 16, 2012, no. 40.

New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "The Steins Collect: Matisse, Picasso, and the Parisian Avant Garde," February 21–June 3, 2012, no. 239.

Janet Bishop, Cécile Debray, and Rebecca Rabinow, eds. The Steins Collect: Matisse, Picasso, and the Parisian Avant Garde. Exh. cat., San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. San Francisco, 2011, pp. 125, 224, 247, 250 n. 30, 430, 464, no. 239, colorpl. 81, pls. 198, 354, 356, 383 (installation photos).