Reading the Letter
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La Lecture de la Lettre (Reading the Letter) is a painting by Pablo Picasso, painted circa 1921, during the artist's transition from Cubism to Classicism, very close to the time of the birth of his son, Paulo. The oil on canvas painting depicts well-dressed two boys reading a letter. The boys have downcast expressions as they read. One boy has an oversized hand on the other's shoulder.
Ownership history
According to the Picasso Museum, Paris, the painting was discovered the inventory of his studios after his death. It had previously been unknown. It was given as part of the estate to the French nation, which placed it in the care of the Picasso Museum.
Style and Controversy
Picasso is not known to have commented on this work, and the precise date may be in question. Many features in the painting including facial features and hands resemble those in La Danse Villageoise (1921), Mere et Enfant (Spring 1921), and Tete et Main de Femme (1921). The meaning of the painting is not the same to all viewers; one reviewer in the New York Times described it as "social realism." Pierre Daix uses the term "hemstitched eyes" to describe that feature in this and related works of the period. The Picasso Museum (p.23) and others believe the painting a tribute to Apollinaire, a friend of Picasso who had died recently. One reviewer (source needed) thought the painting to be a reflection on Picasso's doubts about his ability to head a family and fatherhood -- would he be a disappointment for his children? Picasso was criticized by cubist artists for his return to classicism and for mixing classicism and cubism. Despite any criticism, Arianna Huffington notes (p.172) that Picasso was enjoying phenomenal financial success at this time, estimating his own earnings at one and a half million francs per year.
References
Daix, Pierre. Picasso: Life and Art. New York: Harper-Collins, 1987. pp. 175-178.
Huffington, Arianna S. Picasso: Creator and Destroyer. New York: Simon and Schuster. 1988.
The Picasso Museum, Paris. Besnard-Bernadac, Marie-Laure, et al. New York: Abrams. 1986. P.23, pp. 56-58.
Russell, John. 'Art View: Once fit for a King, and now fit for Picasso.' New York Times, 13 Oct 1985. P. 2. Accessed 5 Aug 2007.