Pablo Picasso was a man that had great empathy for his fellow human. Picasso’s empathy developed in his early years when he lived in Barcelona where he witnessed beggars, gypsies, and prostitutes on the streets. However, the root of his empathy and his famous “Blue Period” was the result of the death of his close friend, Carlos Casagemas. Such a tragedy event would end up spawning paintings like “The Tragedy” which were all a metaphors and personifications of Picasso’s depression. Looking at “The Tragedy”, you get a feel to what Picasso felt like when he made the painting; feeling cold, alone, and depressed. The tragedy showcases the personal struggles Picasso had with his depression while simultaneously conveying his sympathy for people living …show more content…
Picasso skipped class so he can roam the streets of Madrid, to which he would sketch what he observed. Because Picasso lived in the poor section of Madrid, he saw many things on the streets that would later heavily influence his later work from beggars asking for money and food to prostitutes trying to earn money for their families. As a student in 1898, Picasso and his colleague, Pallares, became aware of the war between Spain and Cuba when they visited the market town of Gandesa. They were both appalled to see the wretch state the soldiers were in, barefooted and in dirty rags (McCully, 22). What really triggered Picasso into his famous “Blue Period” and fully showcase in his art, his empathy for his fellow man was when Carlos Casagemas had committed suicide. This tragic event was not the first time Picasso had lost someone close to him as Picasso's seven-year old sister, Conchita, died of diphtheria right before Picasso’s family moved to Barcelona (McCully, 28). In 1902, a letter was sent to Picasso that describes his work in the blue period as “there is too much and no