The artwork titled “The Absinthe Drinker (Portrait of Angel Fernandez de Soto)” is a painting by the renowned artist Pablo Picasso completed in the year 1903. It is an oil on canvas work measuring 69.7 by 55.2 centimeters and is currently held in a private collection. This piece is associated with the Expressionism movement and falls under the genre painting category.
The artwork depicts a figure assumed to be Angel Fernandez de Soto, a friend of Picasso, who is seated at a table with a glass of absinthe in front of him. The man’s complexion is pale, and his expression seems distant or lost in thought, perhaps under the influence of the absinthe. His gaze does not connect with the viewer, suggesting introspection or detachment. The dominant use of dark colors creates an atmosphere that is both moody and contemplative.
Picasso captures the textures and the mood skillfully; the brushstrokes are rapid and deliberate, giving the painting a dynamic quality despite the stillness of the scene. Emphasis on the glass of absinthe on the table indicates its importance in the piece, possibly as a symbol of the escape or vice that the subject is partaking in. The representation of the subject and the glass, through the lens of Expressionism, emphasizes the emotional state over realistic depiction, thus conveying a deeper sense of the subject’s psyche and the scene’s ambiance.
