“The Old Guitarist” by Pablo Picasso
During his Blue Period, artist Pablo Picasso painted “The Old Guitarist” in 1903, which has been considered one of his greatest works. But in 1998, art historians used an infrared camera to study the painting. They realized that Picasso had actually painted over another painting, which featured the image of a woman. As the years went on, the paint began to fade. If you look closely, you can see the woman’s face above the old man’s neck. Picasso painted this after one of his best friends, Casagemas, took his own life. In 1902, Picasso was essentially penniless, and struggled financially. So he really sympathized with people who were ill, homeless, and impoverished. “The Old Guitarist” represents what it’s like to live in poverty and emotional turmoil.