The artwork “Seated Man (Self-portrait)” is a work by Pablo Picasso that was completed in 1965. It is an oil on canvas painting, measuring 99.5 by 80.5 cm. The piece exemplifies the Naïve Art movement, particularly categorized under Primitivism, and serves as a self-portrait of the artist. This artwork is currently housed at the Galerie Louise Leiris in Paris.
The artwork displays a seated male figure, which is the self-representation of Picasso himself, as indicated by the genre. Picasso’s distinct style is evident through the simplified geometric shapes and the expressive use of color. The character is portrayed with a frontal pose, looking directly at the viewer. The use of perspective is unconventional and adds to the Naïve Art aesthetic, which often disregards the rules of standard proportion and depth. The figure’s face has the typical Picasso-esque treatment with dislocated eyes and a nose that suggests a multiple perspective view. White strokes highlight the figure’s head, which contrasts with the pale background, while the body is adorned in a striped shirt with bold red and blue tones, punctuated by gestural white lines.
One can observe a deliberate crudeness and an almost childlike simplicity in the brushwork, which speaks to the Primitivist influence that sought to capture the rawness of human emotion and thought, unfiltered by the sophisticated techniques of traditional art. This self-portrait is a fitting reflection of Picasso’s continuous exploration of identity and his embracing of the less refined, more instinctual avenues of creative expression, as he aged and reflected upon his own life and mortality.
