Work of the week: "Decadent Poet" (Jaume Sabartés) 1900

Decadent Poet (Jaume Sabartés) (1900) is an emblematic drawing by Pablo Picasso that is part of a series of portraits exhibited at the Quatre Gats tavern in February 1900, along with other pieces that he ended up presenting at the Universal Exposition in Paris that same year. The set of drawings exhibited allowed Picasso to become known among the public and artists of the time. Although the exhibition was marginal, it received attention from the press of the time.

Picasso caricatures Sabartés' literary aspirations, drawing inspiration from Santiago Rusiñol's Leaves of Life (1898), especially the story "Desire" and the accompanying illustrations by the Spanish painter Ramon Pichot. This text Rusiñol, artist of reference of the young Picasso, praises the lakes inside the caves as ideal places for men, describing them as quiet and of exceptional natural beauty.

For his part, Picasso places Sabartés in a setting that includes a cemetery and a lake, depicting him as a "decadent poet," as the title of the work suggests. Sabartés is disguised in a cloak and a wreath of flowers, holding a lily in his hand. This image emphasizes the description of the character, as if he were immersed in a world of reverie and melancholy.

The use of caricature and symbolic elements in the drawing reflect Picasso's interest in exploring new forms of representation and artistic expression. In addition, the relationship between Picasso and Sabartés, as model and friend, adds an additional layer of personal meaning to the work.

Sources:

Museu Picasso Barcelona: https://museupicassobcn.cat/es/coleccion/obra-de-arte/poeta-decadente-jaume-sabartes