Artwork Page for The Harem

Details / Information for The Harem

The Harem

spring–summer 1906

Pablo Picasso

(Spanish, 1881–1973)
Culture
Spain, 20th century
Medium
oil and graphite on canvas
Measurements
Framed: 174 x 130.5 x 11.4 cm (68 1/2 x 51 3/8 x 4 1/2 in.); Unframed: 154.3 x 110 cm (60 3/4 x 43 5/16 in.); Former: 163.2 x 120 x 6.1 cm (64 1/4 x 47 1/4 x 2 3/8 in.)
Credit Line
Bequest of Leonard C. Hanna Jr. 1958.45
Catalogue raisonné
Zervos I.321; Sutton/Lecaldano 274; Daix, Boudaille, Rosselet XV.40; Palau i Fabre 1266; PP 1906-073
Copyright
© Estate of Pablo Picasso / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
This artwork is known to be under copyright.
Location
223 20th Century Avant-Garde
Print
?

Did You Know?

This painting dates from Picasso's Rose Period, named for the rosy pink and orange hues that dominate many of his compositions during this time. The Rose Period followed his Blue Period, and the colors are reflective of his mood. The Blue Period is connected to a period of depression following the death of his close friend Carlos Casagemas, while the happier tones of the Rose Period coincide with his happiness in his relationship with Fernande Olivier.

Description

In 1904, Pablo Picasso abandoned the cool palette and somber mood of his Blue Period (1901–4)— exemplified by La Vie of 1903—for the warmer, more sensual imagery of the Rose Period (1904–6). In the summer of 1906, he and his romantic partner Fernande Olivier visited Spain. Picasso sketched Olivier, who often served as a model for the artist, in private moments bathing and combing her hair. Such studies came to life in The Harem, Picasso’s first large-scale representation of nude figures. He added a seated man who clasps a flower in one hand and a porrón (a phallic-shaped drinking vessel) in the other.
Vertically oriented painting in peach tones of six people with light skin tones. A muscular nude person leans against a wall, food and glass at their side as they look up at two nude young people, one fixing their hair the other bending over. Behind, two more young nude people stand, one stretching, the other leaning against a wall. A final person in yellow crouches in the corner, wrinkled face looking to the side.

The Harem

spring–summer 1906

Pablo Picasso

(Spanish, 1881–1973)
Spain, 20th century

See Also

Visually Similar by AI

    Shop the CMA Store

    Shop More Art

    Contact Us

    The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@clevelandart.org.

    To request more information about this object, study images, or bibliography, contact the Ingalls Library Reference Desk.

    All images and data available through Open Access can be downloaded for free. For images not available through Open Access, or any image with a color bar, request a digital file from Image Services.