On the third floor of the Courtauld, in the corner of one of the two cordoned off gallery rooms, hangs the Portrait of Mateu Fernández de Soto. The canvas is awash in tones of moody blue, casting a green light over the man’s skin. The light has no source, giving the impression of a darkening hour; perhaps dusk, or early morning. His brows are slightly drawn together; his eyes focused on the piece of clay in his hands as he etches into it with a spearhead tool. His hands and ears are slightly pink, suggesting a chill in the air, but the man appears unbothered. The framing and angle make it feel distinctly as if you were sat across the table from him, watching him work, yet the intimacy conveyed by the closeness of the viewer prevents you from feeling like an intruder. Rather, it feels like you know him. You went to his home after a long night, had a cup of coffee with him (he doesn’t quite seem like a tea person), and settled in at his kitchen table to observe him while he became absorbed in his work. No words need to be exchanged. His company is enough without them. 

And perhaps that’s precisely how the portrait came to be. Mateu was a sculptor, and a friend of Picasso, along with his brother Angel. Whether Picasso painted it based on a real evening or morning spent with Mateu is unknown, although I’d like to think it was. It feels too familiar to have been imagined. It was painted in 1901 following the suicide of his friend Carles Casagemas, which signalled the onset of Picasso’s Blue Period. After the initial shock of his death wore off, Picasso’s palettes dove deeper and deeper into watery blues as his depression sank in. Given the multiple portraits done of both Mateu and Angel during the Blue Period, it isn’t difficult to infer that the brothers Fernandez de Soto were keeping him company more often than they had previously. It’s sweet to think that the two brothers may have deliberately stayed by Picasso through his depression. Picasso needed it; as his works became “profoundly depressed and cheerless” his financial state suffered. Nobody wanted to display these melancholy paintings in their homes or galleries. 

Which is a stark contrast to today, when Mateu’s portrait along with several other Blue Period pieces are the highlight of the Oskar Reinhart Collection. That’s my opinion, of course, so feel free to peruse and see if you agree. Currently, the Griffin Catalyst Exhibition: Goya to Impressionism, Masterpieces from the Oskar Reinhart Collection is the main showcase at the Courtauld Gallery this spring. It’s on until May 26th, and entry is only £7 for students (with zero charge to visit the permanent collection), so remember to bring your UEA campus card! The display includes works of Goya, Monet, Manet, Renoir, Van Gogh, Picasso, and Cezanne. A well-spent £7 if you find yourself in London over the coming weeks.

Photo Credit: Unsplash