The Spanish artist and pioneer of Modernism Pablo Picasso, in his painting of an "Absinthe Drinker" from 1901, reflects the culture surrounding this highly intoxicating spirit. Absinthe was thought at the time to have hallucinatory effects and was popular in France already in the nineteenth century. The woman holds a sugar cube in her hand, which was used in the drink's preparation. Once the absinthe was poured in a glass, a sugar cube was placed atop a slotted spoon and dissolved by cold water poured on top of it, creating a milky effect in the drink itself. Over a decade later, Picasso returned the subject in a small sculpture "Glass of Absinthe" from 1914 (21.6 x 16.4 x 8.5 cm), which is created from painted bronze. What has changed in Picasso's approach to the subject matter of absinthe drinking between his 1901 painting and the 1914 sculpture? To what extent is the sculpture "representational," in other words, to what extent does it actually depict something as one would see it in the real world? Or does it seem instead to do something else?
Picasso illustrates a substantial change in his approach to the subject matter of absinthe drinking between his 1901 painting and the 1914 sculpture. The painting has the focus on the agency of the woman going through the process of drinking absinthe with a sugar cube. The dark colors and few highlights on just the glass and her cheekbone and arms suggest that part of the darkness in the piece derives from the act she is taking part in. This piece is during the same period of French women increasing consumption in not just absinthe but also morphine. This historical fact adds another layer of darkness to the piece as women are beginning to be seen as addicts to the darker pleasures that steal them away from their boring lives. The perspective of the painting is also off. The blurring background and lines of the objects and woman in the foreground makes the scene appear as if the viewer who is watching the woman is also intoxicated in some way. The sculpture, on the other hand, has a very different feel. The sculpture has no agent that is taking us through the process of drinking. Instead, the viewer is offered up as the agent from the outside that is presented the choice of either continuing the drinking or to decline. There is also a significant change in the mood as the colors are lighter. The lighting of the sculpture add a sort of idyllic nature to the process, also keeping it from the real world.
ReplyDeleteReally nice analysis of the mood and implied intoxication of the woman in Picasso's painting! It is interesting how the colors and mood change with the sculpture, and as Savannah says, perhaps places the viewer in the role of potential drinker.
DeleteIn Picasso's painting of an "Absinthe Drinker," the figure appears to be isolated and alone. She is sitting in a dark room, emphasizing her boredom with her own life. Picasso adds red highlights within her clothes and facial features to illustrate her escape from the real world. She is taking part in a dangerous act to relieve herself from reality. Picasso uses short quick strokes to convey this message. This is also seen in his sculpture of a "Glass of Absinthe." Picasso does not include the act of consuming this deathly drink, but instead, he depicts an enlarged version of the glass of absinthe. Picasso incorporates a spoon within his sculpture to represent absinthe. The spoon is used to dissolve the sugar and sweeten the drink. He uses lighter colors in his sculpture which ultimately changes the mood of the piece.
ReplyDeletegood observation about the sense of isolation and illicit activity conveyed through the representation of the woman in Picasso's painting -- we don't get this sense of context from the sculpture as instead it is the glass of absinthe itself that has been isolated
DeleteWhen comparing Picasso's earlier painting with his later sculpture, the many differences and similarities can be seen. The sculpture is a much more tangible representation of the way in which the absinthe was consumed and thus depicts something that would really be seen in the world. The sculpture shows the act that needs to be done in order to make the drink properly whereas the painting only shows the woman holding a piece of sugar and the drink on the table. There is an implied action that is represented in the piece, but without knowledge of how to make the drink one may not understand why she is holding a piece of sugar. The sculpture makes this more clear as it is called "Glass of Absinthe" so the viewer understands the "traditional" way that the sugar is suppose to be used to make the drink. Another interesting note is that the sculpture seems to mold two very different objects together, the metal spoon and the base of the sculpture. Compared to the painting, the sculpture combines two very different medium and shows how they work together despite being very different, which is something that can not easily be portrayed in a painting.
ReplyDeleteHarry makes a key point about how Picasso's sculpture is mixed media, combining an actual absinthe spoon with a sculpted form, a combination of a found object from the world and a work created by an artist's hand.
DeletePicasso’s Painting depicts a women holding a sugar cube in her hand about to drink absinthe. The thick bush strokes make the scene blurry, suggesting the viewer is also intoxicated. This invites the viewer into the story. The dark colors, incorrect perspective, and bony hands of the women in the painting symbolize the problem with addiction during this time period. The few light colors are on her hands, her face, and the cup. The location of her cheek draws the viewer into the painting and the light from the cup draws the viewer’s eyes through the painting. Picasso’s sculpture is out of proportion and shaped almost unlike a cup and spoon. Like the painting, this implies that the viewer is intoxicated. The spoon is flat and tilted, and it looks as if the sugar cube is about to slide off. The sculpture is different than the painting because the viewer now takes the place of the women and had the choice to drink or decline the absinthe. The contrasting blacks and whites in the sculpture represent this choice.
ReplyDeletelovely description of the intoxicating effects conveyed by Picasso's early painting! In a way, those effects are refracted onto the body of the glass itself in the sculpture, with the pointillist dots that we discussed in class
DeleteThe woman in Picasso’s 1901 painting lacks any features of beauty, as she has a crooked nose, large, bumpy hands and a pointed chin. This depiction of a woman completely devoid daintiness or beauty represents the ugly side of consuming highly intoxicating spirits to experience hallucinatory effects. In contrast, Picasso’s sculpture does not explicitly show the viewer the negative effects associated with of consuming absinthe. Instead, a glass of absinthe is simply offered to the viewer, yet it is not purely represented as one would see it in the real world. Its contours and black colors hint to the viewer of potential effects that may result upon consuming the absinthe. These features cause the viewer to observe the sculpture longer than they would typically observe a normal glass, and therefore leads them to further analyze the effects of what they are about to drink.
ReplyDeleteexactly, Sophie! Picasso implies the effects of absinthe through the distortions and contrasting colors (black/white, and the primary spectrum of red/yellow/blue) of the glass itself.
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