Not only did Picasso switch to a palette of cold and ghostly blues during this time, but he also chose some dark and unusual subjects for his paintings. Picasso explored society’s outcasts in his work, such as beggars, prostitutes, and prisoners. He visited the Women’s Prison of Saint-Lazare in Paris (via Britannica), which inspired such works as “Two Sisters” (1902). He also had a weird fascination with blindness, as shown in “The Blind Man’s Meal” (1903). Picasso delved into the darkness of alcoholism in several paintings, including “The Absinthe Drinker” (1901) and “Sleeping Drinker” (1902).

Picasso most likely identified his subjects, as he knew something about their struggle. He was a young man living in poverty while trying to make it as an artist. He spent time crashing with friend Max Jacob, a poet, in Paris in 1902 when he couldn’t afford his own place (via Museu Picasso de Barcelona). By 1904, he had gotten a place in the Montmartre neighborhood of Paris (known for the Moulin Rouge) and soon met Fernande Olivier who became his first true love (via Fine Art Museums of San Francisco). With his life in Paris beginning to flourish, Picasso’s famous Blue Period neared its end. It’s incredible what he created during this difficult time, including such works as “La Vie”  (1903) and “The Old Guitarist” (1903-1904).

If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline​ at​ 1-800-273-TALK (8255)​.