Self-Portrait with Wig

ca. 1898–1900

Not on view

Returned to lender

This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.

Picasso’s familiarity with the conventions of the old masters is evident in this work, which he likely made as a teenager while living in Madrid and Barcelona. He began with a traditional self-portrait—the outline of his hair is still visible—but then decided to present himself in costume and an anachronistic powdered wig, possibly a harbinger of the masquerade scenes and harlequins that would surface in his work in years to come. Here, the extensive use of black was due in part to Picasso’s deliberate attempt to cover an even earlier composition, a common practice for artists with limited financial resources. The canvas stayed in the artist’s possession until 1970, when he donated it to the Museu Picasso in Barcelona.

Artwork Details

Overview

Exhibition History

Title: Self-Portrait with Wig
Artist: Pablo Picasso (Spanish, Malaga 1881–1973 Mougins, France)
Date: ca. 1898–1900
Geography: Country of Origin Spain
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 21 15/16 × 18 1/16 in. (55.8 × 45.8 cm)
Classification: Paintings
Credit Line: Museu Picasso, Barcelona, MPB 110.053
Curatorial Department: Modern and Contemporary Art