ticketsMember | Make a donation

Head of a Man

Paris, late 1908
Not on view
Picasso initially drew this bust-length figure with open, almond-shaped eyes. The long, diagonal strokes of black ink that cast shadows on the face were added later, possibly inspired by two defaced archaic, Iberian stone heads that Picasso acquired after they were stolen from the Musée du Louvre in 1907. The blackened gaze evokes both blindness and introspection. A close look at this drawing reveals traces of an earlier composition—in this case a standing female nude.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Head of a Man
  • Artist: Pablo Picasso (Spanish, Malaga 1881–1973 Mougins, France)
  • Date: Paris, late 1908
  • Medium: Ink and charcoal on white laid paper
  • Dimensions: 23 13/16 × 18 1/2 in. (60.5 × 47 cm)
  • Classification: Drawings
  • Credit Line: Leonard A. Lauder Cubist Collection, Gift of Leonard A. Lauder, 2016
  • Object Number: 2016.237.11
  • Rights and Reproduction: © 2025 Estate of Pablo Picasso / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
  • Curatorial Department: Modern and Contemporary Art

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
291, No. 1, March 1915, Pablo Picasso Spanish
291, No. 1, March 1915
Multiple artists/makers
1915
Picasso, His Work and His Public, Pablo Picasso Spanish, Etching
Picasso, His Work and His Public
Multiple artists/makers
1968
Head of a Woman, Pablo Picasso Spanish, Pastel on paper
Head of a Woman
Pablo Picasso
1921
Mother and Child by a Fountain, Pablo Picasso Spanish, Oil on canvas
Mother and Child by a Fountain
Pablo Picasso
1901
Reclining Bather with a Book, Pablo Picasso Spanish, Graphite on paper
Reclining Bather with a Book
Pablo Picasso
1921

Related Content

Perspectives

Articles, audio, and video from The Met's online magazine.

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.